The Wheel of Yamanote
by Lady Librarian
Summary: It is said that fate is a wheel that turns round and round. Strange that at the end you find yourself back at the beginning, because Kubi once said that a curse is merely a journey in disguise. The only way for that journey to end is to find your way back home. Book 3 - Kamikakushi Saga.
1. Chapter 1

**LIN**

Thick like rice flour dust caked her sweat soaked cheek.

It blew up into a cloud at her lips, choking her throat.

Thicker still was the stink of old death.

It smeared the rotting sliding doors with hideous stains of black, hanging over the husk of the room like a shadow, clotting the beams of light piercing the buckled ceiling with curling of motes of grime. As she lay there panting and exhausted Lin gagged on the smell of fresh blood.

Worse was the fact that it wasn't hers.

There was no mistaking the ugly reek of human blood. Lin couldn't to look where Kiri sprawled on a frayed and filthy futon. The human hadn't moved or made a sound since the spider had dumped her there. All the same, Lin couldn't spare a glance. She couldn't close her eyes even though they burned with exhaustion. She didn't dare take her gaze off the spider. Across the mildew pocked tatami the spider stoop in the gloom to wash the birth blood from the kits. Though she wore a woman's form a slash of light spilled across the spider's milk white face, making one of her eyes glitter in the dark like a ruby.

The spiders gaze fixed with intensity on the tiny lives cradled in her many hands.

The look made Lin wanted to scream.

It made her want to claw at the decomposed floor.

It made her want to pry up the boards and hurl them at the spider.

Because it was a loveless predatorial gaze.

Slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, the spider dipped her hands in and out of the basin. Eerily more and more hands appeared, flashing like shards of mirror in the dark as red water dripped between the blades of her fingers. Cold terror eclipsed Lin's rage as she tried desperately to see her kits through the thicket of arms.

She hadn't even had the chance to see them before they were taken.

She hadn't even held them.

Suddenly one of the kits loosed a gurgling sigh. Lin bent to the floor beneath a crushing weight of misery as the spider answered with a hushing coo. Linsank her fingers into the tatami, clawing at the rotting fibers as she struggled to pull herself closer. Ignoring her efforts as if they didn't matter in the slightest, Shurui turned her back. The spider busied with wrapping the wiggling younglings in lengths of silken cloth produced from nowhere.

The world turned gray and sick with pain.

Lin collapsed on the filthy mats dwindling on the verge of passing out.

All the same she reached with her only arm.

_ "Give me my kits!"_

Shurui fell still as she perched on the edge of the rotting mats looking away into the gloom. She stared through the hole in the roof out into the beyond as if seeing through the sagging walls to something far away. Lin startled in surprise as the spider finally spoke. Her gentle words were not entirely without pity.

"You only have one hand, weasel woman. You cannot hold them both."

Shurui was suddenly standing over her holding out one of the bundles. Lin didn't resist as the thicket of hands gently helped her sit up, carefully eased the tiny newborn into the crook of her only arm.

Lin stared at her daughter for the first time; holding her breath until her heart was thunder in her ears.

It was as if all the dark suddenly evaporated from the world.

In that moment the blood on the snow of her past melted away.

Kokoro's face was so small; so very small. She was bright white like porcelain. Tiny and perfect; just like the tiny hands that tucked beneath her chin. Knowing what was near, the kit wormed against her chest. Automatically Lin fumbled with the front of her kimono. Instinct took over and somehow she managed to hold the baby and yank the fabric aside so the little one could nurse. Greedily her kit set to work. As she did Lin stared down at the thick hair thatching the girl's crown.

It was black as ink.

Silently Lin prayed her eyes would be gold as well.

Just like Suzume's.

A strange pain stabbed through her heart at the thought of him, bleeding through and making it hard to breathe as the warmth of the tiny body soaked thru her skin. The details of her girl's face dissolved into the threat of tears. Because after everything that'd happened; after everything they'd survived, would she continue to be so lucky now? Would he?

Just as the tears brimmed Lin became all too keenly aware of the hilt of Umi's dagger.

It pressed into her ribs where it lay hidden in the folds of her apron.

Lin's hand twitched against Kokoro's swaddling silk as anticipation buzzed like electricity in the tips of her fingers. She didn't look, didn't glance at the spider just in case her eyes betrayed her because now they brimmed with murder. Her tears were gone; dried up and replaced by bloody thoughts. Because the spider was close; close enough for her to bury Umi's blade in one of the bitch's bloody red eyes. Lin would gladly leave it there too.

But cold terrible apprehension poured over her in that moment.

It forced her to remember she had only one hand.

With that hand Lin held her daughter.

"My offer still stands, weasel woman," Shurui murmured, "Feed the boy then take your daughter can go."

Lin flinched at the sound of the spider's voice. Suddenly the darkness returned, flooding around her and soaking her through with the muddy weight of despair. The spider's words fell like stones against her back, leaving bruises on her soul; because she found herself considered them carefully. Lin bent with shame, holding Kokoro closer as she shook with it.

How she hated the spider.

She hated the spider almost as much as she hated herself.

Because for a brief flash of a moment she considering accepting the offer.

Lin couldn't bring herself to speak.

Instead she spat on the spider's feet.

Hastily Shurui withdrew, leaving Lin in a dizzy lurch. She shrank as fear thrilled in her throat as the spider was suddenly looming over her again, turning the blood thundering inside her veins to ice. All the same, Lin glared at the spider's feet in grim satisfaction, considering spitting again as Shurui wiped at the top of her soiled foot with grimy toes.

"I won't leave my son!"

The spider sniffed, looking away as she responded with frosty indifference.

"I didn't think you would."

Then Makoto loosed a hungry squall.

The sound struck Lin like a slap to the face, forcing her to look up at the spider only to realize that Shurui wasn't looking at them. The spider was staring at Ikiri with the same endless calculating hunger she had turned on the kits. Startled, Lin threw her attention to the human's motionless body half afraid she was dead. The mortal lay on her back with her face turned away, the short fringe of her black hair tangled with debris. But the human lived. Lin could see the slow slight rise and fall of the female's chest.

What could the spider possible want with Ikiri!

At that moment Kokoro gave up Lin's breast with a sweet sigh. Cuddling into her the girl lapsed into heavy sleep. Instinctively Lin recoiled trying to hide her daughter as the spider craned to see the kit.

"The girl has eaten enough," the spider instructed, "Feed the boy."

Lin clambered back from the host white hands unfolding before her as they reached for Kokoro. Staring aghast up at the monster's beautiful terrible face terrible, even as she choked on dread, Lin forced herself to speak.

"W-why do you want my kits?"

Shurui paused, studying her as if she had all the time in the world.

There it was again! Lin watched as the inscrutable conviction that galvanized the spider's every action transform the spider's face into something uncanny. It was like the spider knew she was untouchable, like she'd somehow looked into the future and knew everything that was about to come! As Lin stared premonition lumbered up behind her; growing larger and larger until hung like over her head threatening to crush her at any moment.

In that moment something clawed and rattled the barred sliding door.

"Shurui!_ Shurui!"_

Although the bat's screech was muffled her excitement was palpable.

_ "We have him! She found him!"_

Lin rolled aside, scrambling to sheild Kokoro as Shurui clambered by nearly trampling them in a stampede of hands and feet. Lin stared stupidly as Shurui produced a mirror and a jar of rouge from her obi, hurriedly straightened her kimono, face, and hair. All the while she held Makoto aloft in a single hand as if annoyed to be burdened by him. Lin could only gape in mounting disgust as Shurui transformed from a monster to woman pink-cheeked with excitement as if expecting to meet with a suitor. The juxtaposition of her preening with the rotting den of death around them was utterly absurd. Beaming at the results she saw in the glass the spider stowed her make-up and ripped the door from its tracks in her haste to have it open.

The slider cartwheeled across the room.

Loudly it smashed to pieces against the adjacent wall.

Shurui froze in surprise on the threshold.

In the hallway stood the bat and the cold-eyed stranger; no one else.

With a gasp the filthy kami recoiled, tripping over the God-woman's foot and sprawling backwards only to dangle from the leash attached to the metal collar clasped around the other female's neck. Lin's insides cringed from the sight of the thing. It was magic of the worst kind. The stranger's face twisted with pain as the bat yanked her off balance, nearly sending her to the ground. She almostdropped the old wooden box clasped in her hands. But she didn't cuss or kick the bat as the tattered kami let go of the leash to sprawl on the ground. As if she was a statue the God-Woman stood there silently oozing hate as she glared at Shurui.

Lin found herself staring at the bloody tear in the front of the God-Woman's green kimono.

A patch of pale skin was visible within where the spider had run her through with silk.

The spider had killed the stranger only to bring her back.

It was utter nonsense.

But then again nothing the bat had rambled on about made any sense to Lin; nothing, except the name Heian-kyo. Lin had heard tales of the Imperial City. Kami who passed through Izu tittered about it like idiotic plovers. She'd dismissed the fantastic tales as idle gossip.

It was then Lin realized the stranger was staring back at her.

Her shrewd colorless eyes darted to Kokoro, then to Makoto, then back to her.

Silently the God-Woman stared, brow furrowing deeper and deeper with the frustration that began to burn until her silver gaze blazed like fire. Somehow the God-woman knew her. Instinctively she knew the stranger wanted to help her. But for the moment there was nothing either one of them could do. The collar rendered the stranger a mute slave to whoever held her leash. All they could do was look across the distance at each other; at least for the moment.

Lin dropped her eyes to stare at the dangling lead.

As Kokoro shifted against her side determination hardened Lin's melting heart. She used it to crush the hopeless misery that set her insides trembling. It stilled the devastating remorse chilling her bones. She could not promise Ikiri that she could save her. Nor could she offer the same to the strange God-woman. Lin could not even promise Suzume she would survive this. All the same, as the hilt of the knife pressed against her heart.

She would not let the spider have her kits.

Not so long as she breathed.

That much she could promise herself.

Lin was yanked from her brooding as the spider shoved the other females aside, anxiously stooping in the doorway to eagerly search both directions the hall. As she did Shurui's bright anticipation broke into a storm of fury as she found something missing. In a blink she was a demon once more. The spider towered in the space, eyes like red embers and body encased in beetle black armor complete with obsidian talons. Silk splattered the floor and wall as Shurui spat wrathfully, dragging the bat into the room and pinning her to the ground.

Makoto trilled and squealed in delight as Shurui swung him up and down, back and forth with every wild gesture, making the bat to writhe and shriek as her tattered telescopic ears trembled. Forced to watch her son's erratic flight path, panic yanked Lin upright with a stifled cry. Strange that after all this time she should try to reach with her missing arm. If only it was still there. What a different a single hand could make. But there was no room for wishing in this world. Exhaustion buckled her legs the moment she stood, knees stinging as they knocked on the mats. She clutched Kokoro as the kit slept soundly, oblivious to her brother's peril.

"You said you found him, Bah-Fuh!" Shurui demanded furiously, "Where is he!"

"He's there!" The bat screeched painfully, _"Show her, Kubi! Show her!"_

Lin blinked.

Kubi?

Apparently that was the stranger's name.

But Kubi didn't answer the bat's command. No one was holding her leash. She just stood in the hallway holding the box, watching in grim satisfaction as the spider shook Bah-Fuh so vigorously it dislodged her wig, exposing the ugly liver spots on her wispy bald pate.

"You told me we could take _human_ form!" The spider thundered miserably, hoisting the bat high by her spindly arms as if read to rip her limb from limb,_ "You told me you saw us in the sun!" _

Lin stood stock still, stunned by the spider's admission.

Shurui wanted to be human!

Why on earth would she want to be_ human!_

Again Bah-Fuh was unmoved by Shurui's fearsome outburst.

"That was before your idiot daughters _killed_ the human's babies!"

Lin cringed from the truth. Somehow she found herself standing. With what little strength had returned as she shrank back against the wall, hanging on every word as more and more of the truth slipped from the kami. Her legs were shaking with the urge to run even though they could barely hold her up. Anxiously she vacillated from foot to foot as the instinct vibrated in her very bone;s because if ever there was a moment to escape it was now. All the same, in flinty silence Lin rooted herself in place and waited, listening keenly as the kami revealed themselves.

"You know as well as I do that _some_ things have changed. But not everything has changed, Shurui!" Bah-Fuh explained as is speaking to an idiot, "The human is still the _perfect_ host! She will carry Garuda until we prepare the boy!"

Again Lin jolted as if the words had slapped her.

Prepare the boy!

Isn't that what the bat said before? They only needed the boy?

Lin's insides went cold as ice as she realized they were talking about Makoto.

"It's not perfect but it will do!" Bah-Fuh scolded now as if Shurui was being ungrateful, "You'll never have the sun but at least you'll have _him_, now_ put me down_ you lovesick little fool!"

Shurui all but dropped the bat. Landing with a yelp, the bat indignantly straightened her robes and began feeling about on the spongy tatami. Swallowing a shuddering sob sticky black tears rolled down Shurui's bone white checks. She wiped them with her hands, slowly returning to a human guise as helplessly she shook her fists at the oblivious creature.

In that moment it was Lin's turn to watch with predatorial acuity.

Even thought she didn't understand what or why, it didn't matter.

Kubi has revealed a weakness.

A weakness Lin could eventually exploit once she'd unraveled its mystery.

"You told me you found him!" Shurui hissed between her teeth as if exhausted.

"He's in the box Kubi's holding," Bah-Fuh absently nodded toward the door before returning to her blind groping, "Confound it! Where's my wig?"

Shurui shoved Makoto at the bat. Obviously surprised, Bah-Fuh held him awkwardly in her spindly wings, making a moue of disgust as the kit squalled and laughed. Lin and the bat both flinched as silk whizzed and exploded. As Lin threw her eyes back to the door Shurui was rudely hauling Kubi across the floor hand over hand only to pin the still female to the ground with her foot. For a second Lin was afraid the spider had skewered her once more. But the God-Woman was only plastered in a web. As Shurui tried to wrench free the ancient box in her hands Kubi held fast.

"Give it to me!" Shurui commanded furiously, hauling on the box with one hand before grabbing Kubi by the neck with the other, _"I said give it to me!"_

At once Kubi relinquished. Viciously Shurui kicked her before planting her bare foot on the female's back and grinding her into the ground. As if cruelty was second nature, in the same moment the spider turned reverent red eyes over the wooden box. She lifted it to her lips to blow dust from its top in a billowing cloud.

"It's so small!" She hushed incredulously, "How could he fit?"

Carefully, ever so carefully, she removed the lid with trembling hands.

As the lid fell it struck Kubi in the back before clattering to the floor.

The spider stared at the contents stupidly for a long silent moment.

Emptying the contents into her hands she hurled the box aside.

Gold flashed in the dark, unfurling like water as it poured between the spiders hands.

But it was fabric, not water; the most beautiful fabric Lin has ever seen.

It unfolded larger and larger until it revealed itself to be a kimono.

The warmth of its refracting color sent a glow through every corner of the room.

As Kubi held up the numinous garment her face contorted with enraged confusion.

Shurui bunched it up in her shaking hands as if ready to rip it to shreds.

Instead she hurled it blindly before snatching Kubi up off the ground.

_"Is this some kind of trick!"_ The spider howled in her face.

"What is it!" Bah-Fuh called clamorously, "What's wrong, Shurui?"

The bat brusquely deposited Makoto on the ground, clambering to the edge of the tatami only to recoil from the spider's shrieks clasping her hands over her ears. Already Lin was scrambling across the tatami. Stunned by her luck she crouched on the filthy mat forced to balance Kokoro in the crook of her up-tucked knee so she could pick up Makoto. A punch of panic surged into her throat as he squalled and struggled against her, already rooting around in search of her breast. She felt no relief as he silenced to nurse, because the spider's words haunted her.

She only had one hand: she could not hold them both.

She could not hold them both.

But she could still carry them.

Lin cast about for something to make a sling. She couldn't use her obi; it wasn't wide enough. Better still it was the only thing hiding the blade. Before she could tear off her empty sleeve Lin froze as movement flashed in her peripheral vision.

She flinched as Ikiri was sat up.

Death hung over the human like a black cloud.

It weighed the room with a shadow of sickness.

Pale and blank faced the human stared around without flinching.

Horrified, Lin realized she had been awake for some time.

For all she knew Ikiri had heard everything.

_"Where is he! Where is my Garuda!" _

Lin's attention was torn aside as Kubi screeched. Lin was forced to watch in horror as Shurui's hands tightened around the other female's neck. Whatever answers the God-woman supplied were strangled. Hearing the sounds understanding dawned on the bat. Hastily picking up bits of detritus the bat hurled them in the spider's general direction. Kiri, however, didn't flinch as the bat shouted angrily.

"Shurui, _you idiot!_ She can't answer you if you're choking her!

Pulled in so many directions Lin felt ready to fly to pieces. Again her attention was wrenched aside as Kokoro squealed, kicking and struggling in her spider silk swaddling. The human's miss-matched eyes dropped to the kit. Lin's insides went cold as Kiri continued to stare. The human's face tightened with sorrow as her hands balled into fits.

Lin stared at Kiri's hands.

They were caked with blood.

So were the filthy pleats of Kiri's hakama.

There was no time for grief.

There was no time for guilt.

Staggering over Lin forced her son into the human's hands.

Adrenaline fortified her rubbery legs as she darted back to retrieve her daughter only to force her into the crook of Kiri's other arm. Wordlessly the human accepted them, holding them both. They looked so much larger in Kiri's hands. For a moment Lin worried they might be too heavy for the human to hold. Terror thundered in her blood, singing like the ringing of bells in her ears as it turned the world bright and sharp, because there wasn't time for such worries. Hauling the female upright, Lin locked her only arm around the human's waist until Kiri flinched. But Lin didn't loosen her grip. Relentlessly she forced the human along with their backs pressed to the perimeter of the room, going as fast as caution permitted.

Lin's world narrowed to set of sliding doors at the back of the room.

She had no idea where they went.

She didn't care.

They meant escape.

Outside was a ruined city full of buildings in which they could hide.

They wouldn't have to hide long.

Jut long enough for Lin to kill the spider.

"Put Kubi down, Shurui!" The bat continued to throw things, "We need her alive! _Garuda_ needs her alive, remember! You are his hands, Shurui! Hands _serve_ their master!"

Lin froze in place, flattening against the wall as the spider turned to glare at the Bah-Fuh. She didn't see them; she was too busy swatting aside the barrage of trash the blind kami continued to throw. But something the bat said must have registered, because grinding her teeth audibly, the spider reluctantly returned Kubi to her feet.

The God-woman hauled in a wildly ragged breath as she sagged on her knees still held in the spider's grip. Despair distorted the shrewd female's face. Her lips were bloody and her teeth were black like lacquer. Kubi visibly fought the command only to speak all the same. And it was as if every word was torn from her very skin.

"I stole his breath… I breathed him in… He was inside me and _I couldn't stand it!_ So I spun him into thread… I wove him into fabric… I trapped him there so he couldn't haunt me anymore!"

Before Kubi could finish, before Lin could move another step, Shurui dropped the God-woman. Pale with understanding the spider clambered in front of the sliding doors at the back of the room where she'd thrown the gold garment. Lin's insides turned to ice as the spider unknowingly blocked their escape route while searching the trash piled there.

Lost in a dizzying stab of shock, Lin fumbled to a stop.

Her eyes flew to the other doorway.

It was wide open but it was three times as far.

Unfortunately, this route also required they pass the bat.

"Now do you understand!" Bah-Fuh scolded shrilly, "Only Kubi knows the spell! We'll need her to explain the how of it once we get to Heian-kyo!"

Lin gritted her teeth against a gasp as Bah-Fuh clambered half-way after Shurui, weaving on her feet just a few paces away. The bat turned her head back and forth, listening in confusion as the spider tore apart the room.

"What are you doing now!" The bat snapped impatiently.

Gods, she was a hideous thing! Spastically the bat licked and licked again the wet folds of her ridged nose. White eyes staring blankly as her enormous ears quivered and swiveled. Her pasty translucent skin revealed a web of red and blue veins. The wobbly, rubbery folds of her tattered atrophied wings were shot thru with them. The stink of the bat was sickening! The kami reeked of urine and other vile things. Her once sumptuous robes were almost brown with dried blood, soaked at the hem with other kinds of filth.

Lin held her breath as she urged Kiri onward. All the while her heart was hammering away in her chest as cold sweat broke out all over her body. Turning herself over to the dark distant place of trees and snow, Lin let instinct move her every step. Using the broken caved ceiling a shield, Lin wound her way through the maze of debris. Sound was the best cover and she made good progress while the bat and the spider screeched at each other.

"I threw him over here and now I can't find him! This place is a mess."

Shurui uttered an exasperated sob as the bat twitched incredulously.

"You _threw_ him! Are you that stupid! You search for him for years and years and the moment you find him you throw him away!"

"_I didn't know!" _The spider shrilled back, "Now shut up so I can look!"

Lin didn't hear their words.

Finally they were off the tatami.

Her bare feet thrilled at the touch of dirt.

The door was right in front of them.

Haste crawled over every inch of her skin as she turned her back to the spider and bat.

But right in front of them still sprawled on the floor where the spider had dropped her lay the God-woman.

Lin came up short under the eight of Kubi's burning silver-eyes.

Panic slapped her in the face with the fact that neither she nor Kiri had a hand to spare to save the stranger. This, however, was already more than clear to Kubi. Her shrewd eyes darted from the human, to the kits, then back to her. But they neither begged nor cursed. If anything they compelled her to go. For some strange reason in that moment Kubi made Lin think of Haku. He'd given her the same look, silently willing her to go.

The eerie premonition gave her pause.

It propelled her past the doomed God-Woman a second too late.

"I found him!" The spider cried triumphantly, making the bat cringe.

In that moment Makoto squalled in surprise.

The sound must have startled Kiri, because she loosed a tiny gasp.

Shurui wheeled, looking right at them even as she held up the length of gold.

Instinctively Lin shoved Kiri aside.

Seconds later something struck her square in the chest.

Her feet left the ground as up and down became confused. Dazed, she hung in the nothingness for a bright numb moment before something struck her from behind. When she came to she couldn't move. Nothing would move even as she struggled. Already her heart was in her throat, filling her ears with thunder. Swelling to a crescendo as her chest filled to bursting with a frozen flood of panic. Then the kits squealed and laughed. The sound drew her taut and thin like a coiled spring about to break.

Because this time she was trapped; there was nothing she could do.

Staring madly from the corner of her eyes she saw through a film of silk. Lin tried to scream, tried to shout at Kiri to run. Her mouth was glued shut and air hissed through her nose. She could barely get enough of it into her lungs. Lin watched in miserable fury as Shurui took the kits from Kiri. The stupid human didn't even put up a fight! As if driven by a mind of their own her many hands gathered the kits up, cradling and rocking them to silence. All the while the spider stared down at the human as if trying to decide what to do with her.

"The kimono, Shurui!" The bat instructed eagerly, "Put it on her!"

The filthy kami clambered at the edge of the tatami.

Swiveling her head from side to side as the bat listened raptly to every sound.

Understanding dawned on Shurui as she frowned at the garment.

The spider eyes glittered in triumph as she looked down at the Kiri.

"Hold out your arms, human."

Kiri loosed a sob shaking in terror as the spider towered over her.

There was no ghost to save her now.

No magic to answer her call.

Kiri was just a human.

She had nothing to stave off the liquid fabric that Shurui shook out over her her bowing head. Kiri held out her arms obediently as the spider draped the kimono over her quaking shoulder. Carefully Shurui threaded the female's arms through the trailing sleeves. As it pooled around the human's feet the kimono caught a blade of light. Like a fuze it erupted into dazzling sparkles.

But the light didn't fade this time.

It bloomed and billowed into yellow-white fire.

Growing brighter and brighter until it swallowed Kiri whole.

Even Shurui shrank from it, dwindling in size beneath its intensity as she turned her back, shielding the kits and Bah-Fuh unconsciously. The closest bits of trash charred and the moldy damp tatami emitted steam. Lin could feel the burn from across the room.

Finally the fire split, breathing its torrid breath through the room.

Lin cringed as they divided into an enormous pair of ember wings.

These immolated in a rush of hot air, scattering eroding cinder feathers.

A God not of this land stood out of the ash and dwindling flame.

The smell of incense and sweet flowers drifted in his wake.

Struck stupid with awe Lin could only stare. She had seen fantastic things in her life. But never had she seen a God such as this! Naked from the waist up his smooth bare skin glowed the same color of the billowing fabric wound round his slender waist. Or perhaps he wasn't flesh at all and was made of metal instead? The God showed like bronzed gold, cut in hard lines of muscle and sinew. Strange characters etched into his skin in looping bracketed curls, running in sinuous lines as they traversed his body in stories she could not read. Bands of silver glittering with emeralds trapped the muscles at his biceps, wrists, and calves; crowning his head and holding the thick ebony waves of his topknot in place.

With an ecstatic sob the spider shoved the kits at Bah-Fuh's.

She nearly knocked the bat over to be rid of them.

Then she threw herself into the cinders at the God's feet.

_"O-Garuda-sama!"_

His inner light dimmed as he recoiled, turning away so that Lin caught sight of his face. She could've mistaken him for a woman he was so beautiful. His eyes belonged to a bird of prey; slitted and yellow like the mirrored gold loops threaded through his earlobes. Thick gold paint traced the edges of his almond shaped eyes and the bow of his generous lips. It painted his entire brow, running down the hawk-like cut of his chiseled nose. But the exquisitely perfect balance of both feminine and masculine beauty became lost in his expression of turmoil. His bangles rang like bells as he lifted his hands. As if afraid he stared at his delicate fingers. The nails curved into razor sharp claws. With these he absently worried the long strands of prayer beads looped around his neck.

"Garuda?" He sang softly as if afraid of his own voice.

Holding out her filthy hands, Shurui reached for him.

More and more hands appeared, reaching and reaching in the fading dark.

He shrank, this time with a startled hiss.

Shurui flinched, blinking as if he had slapped her.

"D-don't you recognize me, O-Garuda-sama!

He started at her askance, his yellow eyes glittering cagily.

"No."

He hissed in lyric dismay, staring around the room in utter confusion.

"I… I cannot remember..."

Kneeling in the dirt aghast, Shurui appealed to the bat in a helpless whisper.

"Why doesn't he remember!"

Struggling to hold the kits the filthy creature shook her head at a loss.

"I didn't _see_ this, Shurui! I don't know!"

The spider gasped aloud, clambering back fearfully as like a startled bird Garuda lept into the air with a chirp of surprise, kicking up another sweltering wind as something moved at his feet.

It took Lin a moment to see Kubi.

She had completely forgotten the female.

The God woman lay face down in the dirt shaking like a leaf trampled in a mire of mud. Lightly Garuda drifted down, circling with sharp interest, perching on his toes as he crouched beside her. Gently he turned her over only to freeze. His golden face wiped with shock as his yellow eyes went perfectly wide. With a shaking hand, the God hesitantly brushed the hair from Kubi's face. Taking a deep shuddering breath, he began to shake. Gently, so very gently Garuda took Kubi's face in his hands. All the while the female refused to look at him, clenching her eyes shut.

"I… I _know_ you, little woman." the God breathed in a sigh.

And he was pleading now in a tender song of silver bells.

"Tell me? Please you tell me why I know you, little woman?"

Shurui moved so swiftly Lin didn't see.

The spider caught Garuda by the nape of his neck.

He shrieked like an eagle as she dragged him back, ripping something from him.

Gold furled and folded into the plunging dark.

Kiri slumped onto Kubi's chest as cold swallowed the world in Garuda's absence.

Shaking with barely restrained emotion Shurui balled and shoved the wad of fabric down the front of her obi. Standing over Kubi with an expression of pure murder her red eyes burned like coals in the gloom. Then she turned and stalked across the room. Pacing in circles lost deep in though, her monstrous shadow crawled over the walls in her passing. Shurui tripped on something only to lapse into stillness.

Then she screamed.

Sucking in a long ragged breath she bent to her knees.

Pounding her fists on the floor over and over and over until the mats were pulp, Shurui threw back her head and wailed miserably. Clutching her brow, she tore at her carefully coiffed hair. Even as the sound startled the kits, forcing them to add their plaintiff voices to the spider's keening, Lin watched Shurui suffer with silent satisfaction. Gone was that righteous expression of conviction Lin hated so much! Instead Shurui crumpled to the floor and cried in heartbroken frustration like any other pitiful creature in this cursed world.

It made Lin realize that Shurui wasn't special.

Shurui wasn't immune or omnipotent.

She was just as vulnerable like the rest of them.

All the more reason for her to be patient.

Lin gritted her teeth in grim delight.

Perhaps there was hope after all.

_"Shurui?"_

Bah-Fuh called hoarsely over the squalling kits as the spider finally quieted.

The bat was visibly rattled by the turn of events.

"What're you going to do, Shurui?"

Taking a deep shuddering breath the Spider hissed resolutely.

"I'm going to finish what Garuda started."

With that she sprang from the ground and stormed from the room.

Motivated by the horrible sound of the kits' crying the moment the spider was gone Lin struggled to pull herself free. No use. Whatever silk remained held her fast. These last efforts spent cost her everything she had left. Exhaustion came for Lin even as the walls and ceiling began to quake, showering them with dust and bits up wood and plaster. Even kits cries couldn't summon her to move. At first frightened, the bat suddenly sat up as she recognized something in the distant roar. Then she began to laugh; cackling with frenzied glee.

But Lin could barely hear the bat now.

She could barely hear anything at all over the grinding roar.

The side of the building gave as the ground jolted violently.

It peeling away as the opposite side of the room caved.

Air invaded, damp and cold as the building collapsed, folded flat around them. Light poured in its wake, permeating the massive constellation of blue crystals glassing over the cavern ceiling above. Water plunged from their midst, cascading in a huge frothy cataract down the massive curve of a wheel that leaned precariously over the ruins in which they'd taken refuge. It looked like it had crashed into the red gables of the six-story pagoda that tilted over them as it bore up the behemoth wheel's weight. It was too big to see in one glance. The dizzying effect was more than terrifying. As Lin stared a stone of fear slowly into the pit of her stomach because it seemed as if at any moment that thing could come crashing down on them.

But it didn't.

It was slowly righting itself.

Causing the whole cavern to shake as it began to roll.

It rattled her teeth, vibrating the very core of her bones.

_ "Rise, O Wheel of Yamanote!"_

The bat screeched in maniac triumph.

_"Doom! Doom upon you, Shitamachi!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**HAKU**

"Shut t'fuck up an' listen!" Jae snarled.

Holding onto the tail of metal swiveling at the radio's back the human threw up his arms waving comically until a voice began to surface out of the unseemly hissing.

Haku fought to hear through the static.

…_Earthquake has struck Tokyo … Epicenter… Taito Ward… Train service is suspended… Thousands without power…_

At once Kenka went perfectly white.

He ripped the antiquated phone from its cradle, dialing from memory.

Gritting his teeth he knotted the cord in his hand, chewing his lip.

He straightened abruptly lowering the receiver to stare at it blankly.

Terror tightened his face, soaking him through until he shook with its weight.

With rare gentleness Megumi returned the receiver to its cradle.

"Phones will be down," She explained calmly.

"Earthquakes happen all the time," Jae continued half for himself.

"It wasn't an earthquake," Kuromi pronounced grimly.

"What t'fuck do you know!"

Jae rounded on her savagely only to jolt as he realized what she was.

The male knocked back into Megumi as the singed spider stood in the entryway.

Kuromi's red eyes burned like fires in the gloom as she stared at the radio.

The disembodied voice continued to crackle into the ensuing silence.

_In an unprecedented geological event an entire section of Asakusa sank 15 meters causing massive flooding from the Sumida River. Geologists say the collapse of a cavern deep beneath the streets may be responsible. Before the quake hit this morning a similar destabilization took place… _

Here the signal began to break up.

_Ueno Park late last night..._

Only terribly familiar fragments survived.

_Uguisudani Station…_

Finally the voice died, drowning in the static.

Here the spider repeated herself but this time explaining.

"It wasn't an earthquake. It was the Wheel of Yamanote."

They all jumped as Michio's voice echoed in the stunning silence.

It boomed directly behind Haku like a crack of thunder.

"_Goddamnit!_ What t'_hell_ are you people doin' up so early?"

As Chihiro's best friend shuffled down the hall Haku spun on his heel as the wind of his fright erupted round him. The humans shrank as the gale toss their hair and plucked at their clothes. Pushing up a cloth mask embroidered with hideous pupils the human rubbed her sleepily eyes. Wearing an outlandish set of night clothes patterned with a strange green creature with bulbous pink eyes, Michio made herself even more at odds with the indigo yukata worn by the other humans. The bruises on her face and neck had healed to smudges of yellow made all the brighter thanks to her messy chemical green hair.

Strange that he should be so afraid of her.

But he was more than afraid.

Haku was terrified of Michio.

Unfortunately there would be no hiding from her.

Perhaps that was why she unnerved him so.

As if drawn by magic her gray eyes found him.

She froze; momentarily stunned as the wind poured around her.

Haku's fluttering heart surged into his throat as her finger shot up.

It stabbed at him like one of the knives she had brandished on him in Aoyama.

"_You!"_ She thundered.

Chouchin guttered at the human's screech, darting up into the rafters as Michio pushed up her sleeves in an obvious threat of violence. Before she could advance; before Haku could flee out the front door to the safety of the roof, Onsen saved him. The blessed house slammed sliding doors right in the female's face. They rattled as Michio bounced off them, remaining closed even as Michio pried and pounded, making them buck and jolt in their tracks.

"Hey! _Hey!"_ Michio barked furiously.

Haku blinked, somewhat awed as Michio continued to shout. She had no fear of this place as the other humans did. That she had managed to adapt so quickly gave him pause. But here Haku frowned angrily as she kicked the door, damaging the paper.

He did _not_ care to see her abuse Onsen!

Before he could open his mouth to admonish her the human insulted the house.

"Open up you moldy old _ugly_ house!"

Onsen shuddered indignantly.

The other humans cringed with anxious glances at the creaking rafters.

Floor boards snapped on the other side as the human female squealed.

Her retreating shrieks were punctuated by the resounding slap of wood.

As silence fell Megumi snorted as if all this was common place.

"She deserved that."

With a calm Haku had not expected the female turned for the kitchen.

"I doubt anyone slept through that. We might as well start on breakfast."

Bozu followed with a nervous glance toward the entryway.

The spider was gone; to where he had no idea.

Again Haku spun, feeling like a flag in a storm as he stared after Jae.

Snatching up the radio the male hastily followed in the female as if loath to be left.

Jae argued with the goblin as they headed for the kitchen.

"Foul mouthed human will make pancakes, yes?"

"Man, I'm _sick_ of pancakes!"

"Shhh! Bozu likes pancakes."

"What about omelets, huh?"

"_Shhh! _Human is too loud! Bozu wants pancakes!"

"Don't _fuckin'_ tell me t'shush you little…"

Haku stared in a daze as they disappeared between the split in the curtains, their voices smudging into murmurs. He continued to stare, thoroughly disquieted by the feeling of being a stranger in his own house.

"Y-you okay, dude? You're, uh, getting _windy_…"

Haku glanced back at Kenka only to find him at his elbow.

The male's pinched face was all eyes in the gray dawn.

It was then that Haku realized a wind was rolling off of him.

It tousled the bleached fringe of the male's hair.

In that moment Chihiro pounded down the stairs behind them.

Warm wild relief welled in Haku's heart at the sight of her.

She was fresh from bed.

Her silver hair was a mess; yukata disarranged so that her pale legs flashed beneath the indigo hem.

Her bare feet skidded on the boards as she came up short on the mid landing.

Obviously surprised to see Kenka, she blinked back and forth between them.

"M-morning," she stammered at a loss.

Haku cringed as something smashed distantly.

Onsen shuddered again as Michio's angry shout echoed from afar.

"_I'm not afraid of you, ugly, Ugly, UGLY house!" _

Chihiro's face wiped with shock as she wheeled toward the sound.

Haku flattened Kenka against the wall as Chihiro jumped the last three steps.

The floor jolted as she landed hard, careening around the corner into the entryway.

The sliders to the guest wing ripped open as she sprinted down the hall.

Chouchin floated down from the rafters and curiously followed in her wake.

Unsure of what to do Haku took a step after Chihiro and the lantern before Kenka caught his arm.

"Let her get this one. I get the feeling Michio isn't happy to see you."

Haku resisted if only for a moment.

Then he let Kenka pull him down the hall into the kitchen.

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Her breath plumed white at her lips as she caught herself on the guestroom doorway. The aged heater installed in the far wall rattled and clanked wearily as it cranked out a miserly amount of warmth. All the interior sliders were drawn against the burning cold of winter. The fixture hanging from the ceiling was swinging wildly, casting shifting shadows across the walls and floor.

Michio was nowhere to be seen.

Her things, however, littered the room.

Inside it looked as if an explosion had gone off inside of someone's suitcase. Clothes were strewn at random across the floor until the tatami mats were nearly invisible. Chihiro recognized a laptop listing half buried beneath a pile of thick quilts. She blinked, recognizing the pale blue quilt. Everything in this room pretty much belonged to her. Sheets; posters; pillows and other random homey fodder; she's packed these things to bring to Kou's apartment. They'd been in the back of her car when she took off for Izu. She'd left them there when she gave Michio the car. Michio hadn't unpacked; she'd dumped all the boxes onto the floor of the room.

Chihiro recoiled with a strangled squeak as the pile of quilts stood up. Wearing the Invader Zim pajama's Michio'd given her for her birthday the Goth surfaced from wielding the top of the kotatsu like a shield. The stinging bite of magic crackled beneath her feet as the contents of the room jolted from the floor only to go angrily whizzing through the air. The light flickered and sparked angrily as the sliders to the room threw themselves open and closed in a terrifying display of poltergeist power. Shirts, pillows, and stuffed animals hurled at Michio's shield as she screeched at the top of her lungs.

"I'm not scared of you anymore, do you hear me you _stupid haunted house! _I'm gonna get the fattest baldest butt-ugly Buddhist priest up I can get to _exorcise the shit outta you!_"

At once a futon jolted off the floor, belligerently scattering electronics as it lumbered at her. With a furious snarl Michi tossed her shield and tackled it to the ground.

"Is that the best you can do!" She sneered derisively, "_Hah!"_

Slapping aside a diving flock of shirts she straightened to stomped the life out of the mattress all the while shrieking like a madwoman.

"I live here now, got it! This is my room an' I'm going t'paint it _green_! Not some stupid natural namby-pamby eco-friendly ferny tree green! I'm gonna paint you some _ugly_ ass kool-aid electric lime-aid, or better yet, _Barbie Doll pink!"_

Another violent shudder rattled through the boards beneath Chihiro's feet. Suddenly the sliding doors leading to the garden ripped open. The futon ejected Michio from the room like a catapult. She flew true, arching high over the short latticed banister before landing in the snowy drifts beyond.

_ "Michio!" _Chihiro shouted in dismay as she rushed to the window.

The sliders slammed shut in her face.

"Knock it off, Onsen!"

Chihiro snapped at the ceiling as he pulled on the doors.

The house, however, hung over her head like a sulky cloud.

"Just go away!" Chihiro shouted in exasperation, "You're not helping, okay!"

Abruptly the presence withdrew as the window jerked open. Cold slapped Chihiro in the face. Outside the garden was blanketed in perfect mounds of white. More snow filtered in gentle curtains from the low gray sky. Like a blot of green food coloring dripped onto a snow cone Michio was completely out of place as she sat up out of the sea of pristine white.

_"That's it!"_ Michio raged through chattering teeth.

As Michio clambered out of the drifts with jerky wooden movements Chihiro caught hold of her, pulling her back up inside through the window.

"Get out of my way, Chihiro, _I'm going to burn down your FUCKING house!"_

Halfway over the banister Michio paused as if seeing her for the first time. She went perfectly still as her wild eyes went wide. Chihiro blinked. She stared into her friend's face and realized her friend's eyes were gray, not brown.

"Chihiro?" Michio breathed in a tiny voice as if stunned to see her.

Then the banister snapped beneath their weight.

It was purely ornamental and not designed to hold them.

Down they tumbled into the tangle of clothes and sheets.

Chihiro lay there for a stunned moment.

Then Michio had her by the front of her yukata and was shaking her vigorously.

_ "You-fucking-bitch-when-did-you-get-back!" _

The words came out in a furious chattering tearful stream of relief.

"Last night," Chihiro wheezed as she batted uselessly at her friend's hands.

Rolling onto her side Chihiro waved at the windows. Michio jumped, recoiling as if anticipating another assault of laundry as they clacked shut. Michio jumped again as Chihiro pulled the nearest blanket over her head and tackled her to the tatami mat.

_"Ah!"_ Michio shrieked and squirmed, "You're feet are _frozen_!"

"They'll warm up in a second," Chihiro muttered as she cuddled close.

They lay there on a pile of clothes cuddled into each other hiding beneath the blanket. The smell of old tatami mats and the faint chalky sting of snow trigger her memory and instantly they were kids again. Michio's house was older and it didn't have any insulation. In the winter they'd hide under the kotatsu with just their heads and arms poking out so they could draw. As Chihiro considered dragging the kotatsu over Michio spoke in a quiet serious voice that didn't belonged to her at all, explaining without really explaining.

"I made it to Shimoda."

Instantly she launched into an angry rambling rant.

Chihiro lay there quietly and listened.

"So I called Lydia and she's totally worried now and you _seriously_ need to give her a raise because she didn't ask any questions even though I was pretty much crying the whole time we were on the phone. Even though it was the middle of the night she got me a super fancy hotel room right on the water! I could see those stupid replica black ships they have in the harbor at that tourist museum.

"The bed was huge and awesome I couldn't sleep. I love to sleep, Chihiro, but I was too scared! I was too scared to leave the room! Too scared to order room service! Too scared to pick up the fucking phone even though they had hot fudge brownies and banana splits! I was too _fucking_ scared of everything even the stupid seagulls! But then I got mad, okay! I got seriously mad at myself for being scared because it's not the first time this has happened."

Chihiro blinked and blinked and blinked some more.

"W-what?"

She jumped as Michio laughed with scathing with sarcasm.

"You still don't remember, do you?"

It wasn't really a question.

Soon enough Michio was explaining again.

Chihiro still didn't understand.

All the same she listened, struggling to do exactly that.

"You know why we're such good friends even though your parents were rich and mine really poor? Because when we were little we used to see all kinds of crazy shit no one else could! You probably don't remember the glowing bugs that weren't bugs and the dust bunnies that weren't dust bunnies. The old wing of the elementary school was infested with them. Even though everyone said the place was haunted you and I used to sneak over to try and see them before class started."

Michio squirmed until she was comfortable, still talking and talking until Chihiro could hear Osaka come creeping out of her like it did whenever she talked about home.

"You used t'talk about _them_ all the time. You drew them too. I remember that the other girls were really mean to you because of it. They put glue in your hair and stole your drawings. Remember Akane Ishikawa? That bitch used to tear them up right in front of you. You were such a baby. You'd cry and just let her do it until I punched her in the nose. But that wasn't the reason why we became friend."

Here Michio shivered violently, casting an anxious glance at the ceiling.

"We started being friends because I could see them too."

* * *

**HAKU**

Haku came up short on the top step of the landing. Finally time seemed to slow down. So much had happened so quickly. Standing there clinging to the banister he indulged himself in simply standing still. The kitchen was much warmer than the rest of the house. Crackling irritably the pale flame of Onsen's presence flickered in the old hearth. Megumi jumped with many a nervous glance each time the fire gave a particularly loud pop. Dim light filtered through the frosted window behind the female as she vigorously whisked ingredients in a huge bowl. Looking more than pleased Bozu ferried sundries from the pantry, teetering comically as he carried over a massive bag of flour. Something sizzled in a shallow skillet; probably butter. Behind Megumi a plastic device of human making gurgled on the counter top, trickling a steady stream of black liquid into a glass carafe. All the while the red electric eye of its switch stared at him cagily.

Haku recognized the heavy roasted scent of coffee grounds.

Immediately greedy needing surged in his chest. But standing between him and the magic elixir was the remains of their arrival. Haku had not noticed it earlier. He had been too preoccupied with Kuromi. Boulders the size of Bozu, shattered planes of wood, and sharp shards of stone scattered across the room. Jae dragged the broken door across the floor with Kenka's help. The males they leaned the heavy plank of wood against the wall only to stare at it for a somber moment. Hastily Jae turned away and attempted to shift one of the boulders. It did not so much as budge. The male was paler than pale and obviously unnerved by the rubble. He kept searching the ceiling as if trying to find where the rocks had fallen from.

"There's no way we're moving that," Kenka muttered.

"No _shit_, man!" Jae bit back.

Kenka held up his hands, silently absorbed his friend's outburst as he turned away.

Megumi paused as she doled batter into a skillet, glaring over her shoulder.

"He's just trying to help."

Jae threw his hands at the radio in an explosive gesture.

"In case you haven't _fuckin'_ noticed, Meg, there's nothing any of us can do to help! The whole _fuckin'_ world's gone nuts and it keeps getting _fuckin'_ worse!"

Bozu hesitated in the pantry, peering uncertain under the curtain at the humans.

"Gee, thanks for making it worse!" The female returned nastily, "Taking it out on each other's not going to help!"

"Take your own damn advice, _mom_!"

Angrily shoving the batter bowl onto the counter Megumi turned and got right in his face.

"I'm not your mom!"

"Then stop tellin' me what t'do!"

"I'll stop telling you what to do when you stop acting like an idiot!"

Jae turned his back on her as if ready to storm out of the kitchen.

The moment he reached the perimeter of the room fear pinched his face.

The male whirled to face her as anger smothered his flash of apprehension.

Helplessly Haku looked on as the insults flew between them.

"_Bitch!"_

"_Asshole!"_

"_Princess!"_

"_Peasant!"_

As Bozu peered out from under the pantry curtain with an uncertain frown Haku appealed to Kenka for help. But the tall male just turned away. Shivering violently and looking more than exhausted. Kenka closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, pacing back and forth uncertainly as if looking for a way out of the kitchen. It grew obvious from the human's suffering expression that he could not stand to be in the room a moment longer. But just as Jae could not bring himself to leave the room neither could Kenka. Strange that the kitchen was the only place they felt safe.

"You don't know what happened to us! You didn't see! You didn't see the _fire_ an' the _fuckin' s-spiders_! _So don't act like you know everything!"_

Haku flinched as Jae's voice grew savage.

The human's fear was just as palpable.

Haku could taste it on his tongue; bitter and sharp; almost like blood.

Finally Kenka snapped.

Clamping his hands over his ears his shout silenced the room.

"_SHUT UP!" _

Sinking into a crouch Kenka hid his face in his hands.

"Please… Please, just _stop yelling_…!"

The sizzle of batter in the skillet became uncomfortably loud.

Fidgeting awkwardly Megumi stared at Kenka as if she had no idea how to offer the male comfort. Wordlessly she petition Jae to do something. He stared back at her just as helpless until Megumi waved at their friend in exasperation. Throwing up his hands in contrition and shrinking as she threatened him with a spatula, Jae slouched over to Kenka, leaning companionably against the wall while looking somewhere else.

"What t'hell, man? Don't cry in front of Meg," Jae muttered uncomfortably, "Girls aren't s'posed to know guys cry. Next thing y'know she'll be tryin' t'paint our toe nails an' giving us facials an' shit."

Kenka snorted, whispering hoarsely through frayed amusement.

"Facials are awesome."

"I know, right!" Jae hushed secretively, crouching beside him now, "Especially when they smell like candy. Why t'hell do they do that, man? You're not s'posed to want t'_eat_ soap!"

Kenka laughed weakly, finally surfacing from his hands to smirk sideways at Jae.

His eyes and nose were raw with tears.

But at least he was smiling.

Both males toppled over as Bozu darted from the pantry.

Megumi shrank back against the sink as the yokai yanked on her apron.

"It's burning! It's burning!"

Haku looked at the store only to find smoke pluming from the skillet.

"_Shit! Shit! Shit!" _Meg swore as she darted to the range.

Grasping the bare handle of the cast iron pan she yanked back her fingers with a yelp.

Her gasp of pain hit him physically.

It dislodged him from the mire off his thoughts.

Already Haku was beside her.

At his silent command the water in the sink gushed.

He ushered her over, urging her hand under the stream.

Turning he summoned the skillet from the range with a terse wave.

The back door yanked open at his glance

He ejected the offending pan into the snow.

Blowing between pursed lips he loosed a sharp wind at the room.

In a curling gust the kitchen cleared of smoke.

Since the door was open already he though he might as well clear the rubble.

Jae and Kenka jolted to their feet, sidling away as the debris rattled to life.

The door and other wood shards skittered upright to gather in a neat pile on the hearth.

Out of this Onsen sprang in happy tongues of white.

At Haku's behest the boulders bounced to life.

These rolled around him in an orderly avalanche as he waved them along.

Bozu joined him in rounding up the stones.

The yokai admonished them thoroughly as he chased them out the back door.

"Shoo! Shoo! No rocks in the house!"

Haku frowned at the floor finding it grimy.

Summoning a mop with a circle of his hand, he came up short as Bozu capered by.

The yokai stood on his tip-toes peering over the counter edge.

"Pretty human, okay?"

Haku blinked as he looked up.

Megumi had tucked herself up onto the counter.

Her feet were in the sink.

She was staring at him in wide-eyed amazement.

Slowly Haku glanced back at Jae and Kenka.

He found them perched atop the benches in the nook.

They were gaping at him with similar expressions.

As Jae continued to stare at him he grew angrier and angrier.

Clenching his fists the male trembled with rage.

Angry as he was, the human made no move to climb down from the table.

"What_ t'fuck _was _that_, Kou!"

Haku's insides scrambled as he realized he had openly used magic.

Now that he was home he had not thought to censor himself.

"A-apologies, I… I s-should have used a broom…"

He snatched one off of the wall and began sweeping with vigor.

"Will you stop cleaning an' tell us what t'_fuck_ just happened?"

Lapsing to stillness Haku leaned on the broom.

Taking an unsteady breath, he shuffled uncomfortably under their scrutiny.

"I… I do not know where to begin."

"Try starting with where _t'fuck_ have you been for the last fuckin' _week! _Your pals are an' okay bunch, but their tight-lipped as shit! They didn't explain _any_ of this! We've been tryin' t'piece it together ourselves an' having a crap shoot time of it!"

Bozu cringed, creeping up behind Haku's knees to glare at Jae.

"_Shhhh! _ Foul mouth human is too loud!"

"Stay out of this, little man!" Jae shot back.

The human threw an orange cushion that the yokai deftly avoided.

"Bozu not little!" He stamped his tiny foot, "Foul-mouth human is too tall!"

Haku scooted the goblin aside with the broom while blurting a hasty answer.

"The week you speak of was barely an hour or two."

Kenka blinked and blinked and blinked.

"W-what d'you mean only an hour?"

Haku continued lamely, trying to explain the inexplicable.

"Time turns much slower than, uh, _human_ time where I have been."

Jae uttered a quiet hysterical laugh, turning away to hide his face in his hands.

Haku tried not to squirm under the weight of Megumi's eyes.

"Look… We've figured out who most of the others are but I want to know who _you_ are!" Megumi demanded beneath her breath, "All of this seems to revolve around you, so tell us the truth this time!"

Dropping his eyes to the grimy green tiles Haku tightened his hands on the broom.

The haft creaked and complained as he wrung it anxiously.

Remembering what Megumi said in the park Haku realized he owed them these truths.

That, however, did not make any of this an easy task for him.

After remaining hidden for so long it was near impossible to reveal himself now.

"Chihiro's story isn't just a story," Kenka offered encouragingly.

Haku nodded. It was the best he could do.

"The kami who work here are the ones from the bath house."

"Most of them, yes," Haku amended lamely as words continued to fail him.

Growing frustrated with his reticence Megumi appealed to Kenka.

"But he's one of them, right? You said so."

The tall male blinked before silently appealing to him as if for permission.

Haku nodded almost unperceivably.

"Remember what Fuu was going on about that night? I think she knew all along but we didn't believe her. She kept saying, _'He's not a ghost! He's not a ghost!'_"

Kenka fluttered his hands about in a half-hearted mimic of the sweet simple female's exuberance.

"Do you remember what that creepy lady in green with the silver eyes called Kou that night? She called him by his _real_ name, not the one we know him by. That's when I figured it out."

Here he flushed, anxiously rubbing the back of his head.

Because Jae stood bolt upright at his words, shouting back explosively.

"_What t-fuck, man!_ Y-you've known all along an' you didn't say anything!"

Kenka threw up his hands again, cringing from his friend's fury.

"I didn't say anything until now because I wanted you to hear it from Kou!"

Ignoring the males, slowly Megumi's face wiped with sudden understanding.

Whispering beneath her breath again she laid him bare with truth.

_"Nigihayami Kouhaku Nushi!"_

Haku flinched as his true name fell from her lips.

It rang in his ears like the deep knell of a distant temple bell.

"What'd you say!" Jae snapped peevishly as he rounded on her.

Megumi was pointing now.

"He's the _dragon_ from Chihiro's story!"

Dragon: Haku flinched again as the word turned him cold as ice.

As Jae choked on the word in utter disbelief Haku refused it.

"Not anymore," he refused it while looked at anything but her.

Here Kenka pressed in quickly.

"W-what do you mean not anymore? We saw your mask when the spiders…"

As Kenka's voice broke in that moment Haku balked at the question.

"That is a long and difficult story."

"Paraphrase," Megumi instructed coldly.

A lick of anger kindled in his gut at her imperiousness. Haku glared at her from the corners of his eyes and found the female glaring back at him challengingly. She looked quite ridiculous folded up on the counter top as if afraid to set foot on the floor. All the same he felt terribly exposed beneath the weight of her eyes. She burned him with the intensity of her gaze, seeing far more than he liked. She reminded him far too much of Kubi in that moment. And he did not want to think about Kubi. Haku forced himself to admit he owed them these truths no matter how they cost him.

Taking another unsteady breath he began sweeping.

Work helped.

He chased dirt and pebbled into piles.

As he did the past spilled from him in a rush.

"I have never known how to be content with what I have. Strange that the wanting would drive me to loose everything I have. It drove me to give up my name. It drove me to become a thief and a traitor. Finally it drove me to renounce even myself."

The telling grew easier with every word that had eluded him before.

In a way it was a relief that they should finally know him.

Not in lies and half truths, but to know him as he was.

"In my selfishness I offended a Goddess. To punish me she cursed Chihiro into forgetting all about the life we had built here."

Haku struggled not to despise Sengen for what she had done to them.

Hate was a terrible emotion.

Unfortunately it came far too easily.

Hastily he struggled to leave it behind as memory dragged him onward.

"When she left I followed her to Tokyo thinking I might somehow break her curse. I found my way to Ueno Park. I took refuge in your shed. Kazuo-san saw me dancing for alms. She took pity on me and offered me employment and shelter. I know not why. In exchange all she asked was that I dance with you. "

Curls of wind blew from him with every stroke of the broom.

It scattered his work and making his effort useless.

All the same he indulged in the futile task.

"That night in Shinjuku Chihiro and I met as if for the first time. She did not remember me. I could not make her remember me. There was nothing I could do. In the end it did not matter. Finally I leaned to be happy. I was grateful just to be near her. I was grateful to wash dishes in your restaurant. I was grateful to dance in your studio. Gladly I would have lived a mortal life along side you. But that was not to be."

Haku gritted his jaw as sorrow stole his voice.

Swallowing with difficulty he forced himself to continue.

He chased the wandering dust toward the old hearth.

The white flames of Onsen's presence flickered brighter at his approach.

She flooded the room with her uncanny warmth.

All the same he felt bitterly cold.

"There are Gods in Tokyo still. You may wonder how it is even possible. We cannot abide by the ever broadening mire of your steel and iron; your choking polluting chemicals; the harsh endless twilight of your lights, and the caustic bite of your electricity. It is poison. Yet somehow we survive in tiny oases like Ueno Park. Most kami have withdrawn to live in a cavern beneath what you call Asakusa. These kami are known as Shita-no-kami: the Gods who dwell below."

"You're _shitting_ me!" Jae cut in hoarsely.

Looking back at the nook Haku found the males had taken seats.

Both were gawking with rapt attention.

"Asakusa?" Kenka repeated in amazement.

His face drew into sharp lines of disquiet as he looked at the radio.

As he opened his mouth to speak Jae cut him off.

"Man, that place always gave me the _fuckin'_ creeps!"

Here Megumi cut back in angrily waving her hands in confusion

"I don't care about all that! Old places are always creepy! What I want to know is if you're not a kami then what are you! You can't be human! Human's can't _fly_ or catch a huge falling metal lap posts!"

"Wait! He can _fly_!" Jae cut in incredulously.

As calmly as he could Haku tried to explain.

"I am both and neither. I cannot completely abandon what I am nor can I return to what I was. I am trapped between worlds for neither will accept me."

Kenka's face tightened with confusion.

"What do you mean they won't take you? Why not?"

Haku began sweeping again as the topic turned extremely uncomfortable.

"Not all Gods are lucky enough to go through life unscathed. Some have lost something of themselves. A name; a limb; it does not matter what. We are _unwhole_. As a result we are reviled as carriers of bad luck."

"Luck!" Meg was incensed, "What's _luck_ go to do with anything of this!"

Pausing to lean on the broom, Haku looked past her towards the back fields. As he did he looked through the wall into the past. Dark and terribly things dwelled there and he cared not to remember them. All the same memory haunted his words as he reluctantly described the Forgotten.

"Luck means everything to Gods. Unluckiness is a taint that infects kami. Unluckiness breeds more unluckiness until slowly it takes on life. It festers and feeds on hate and sorrow until it eats a kami alive. It forces the kami to forget itself and become a something else entirely."

Here the humans fell silent.

Pale and shaken, they looked at anything but him.

"Dude," Kenka breathed quietly, "That sounds _seriously_ scary…!"

"_No fucking shit!"_ Jae bit back hoarsely.

"There is no guarantee that everyone who finds themselves unwhole will become that thing. All the same there is the slightest chance. As such we are shunned. I am even further shunned. Some kami may try to kill me on sight."

Megumi shook with shock.

"Why would they want to kill you!"

"Because I am a traitor," Haku returned grimly, "I committed the ultimate transgression. I willingly relinquished my God-self so I might take on human form."


	3. Chapter 3

**HAKU**

Megumi stared at him in mute astonishment.

Haku drew his lips into a thin line as horror slowly crept into her eyes.

"Do kami really _hate_ humans that much?"

He snorted as her ignorance made him impatient.

Only a human could be so very oblivious.

"You are responsible for the Spirit World's death. Of course they hate you."

Again the same strained silence hit the room.

Haku blinked; regretting his words. He had spoken too bluntly.

Before he could soften that blow the one-eyes yokai chimed in.

"Bozu doesn't like foul-mouthed human, but Bozu doesn't hate him. Bozu thinks pretty human is pretty. Bozu thinks tall human is nice even though he is too tall."

Haku continued gently as he nodded to the goblin.

"Not all kami are alike. Some are more open-minded than others. Bozu is one of the Ueno-Kami: the Gods who dwell above. Like the kami here at the Onsen they have a very different outlook."

Haku, however, danced around that ultimate truth.

The humans were now outcasts as well.

He did not have the courage to tell them that yet.

"Not to ruin the warm-fuzzy-moment but none of this explains the _spiders_ an' the _fire_ an' all that other _crazy_ shit!"

Jae circled a hand at the ceiling before pointing at his face.

"My eyes turned gray overnight, man! _Gray!_ I'm not some kinda anime character, man! I don't do fuckin' _magic girl_ transformations.I mean they were always kinda hazel, but now they're _silver!_ So are Meg's and Kenka's and Michio's! Now we're seein' all kinds of stuff like little glowy bugs that aren't there and blinkin' rock statues an'… an' _weird ass shit I ain't never seen before!_ It was nice to hear your life story, man, but I want t'hear what the hell happenin' to us!"

Shame burned him Jae forced Haku to confront the very truth he withheld.

He repeated himself uselessly, stalling the inevitable.

"I did not mean to bring any of this upon you. I give you my word that I will do everything in my power to help you…."

Jae hit the table top with a fist making Kenka jolt.

"_Quit fuckin' apologizing, man, an' just tell us straight!"_

In response to the human's untoward behavior a stab of anger sparked in Haku's chest until it exceeded him. Jae shrank, growing paler as an eerie wind blew through the room. Haku growled beneath his breath in a voice that better belonged to a dragon.

"Do not assume any of this is easy for me! I am just as much a _stranger_ in your world as you are in mine!"

Once again wringing the haft of the broom Haku startled as the wood splintered in his hands. Dismayed, he stared at the broken bits of wood as the swiftly circling gale rolling off of him made Onsen's fire gutter in the hearth. The shadows in the room trembled as if also frightened.

The dragon was gone as he spoke again.

What remained was human enough.

"Even as I tried to live a human life, even as I tried to turn my back on what I once was, I became embroiled in a quarrel between the Shitano-kami, the Ueno-kami, and the spiders of Uguisudani Station. Even now I do not understand why or how any of it started. All I know is that through me that quarrel spilled into your lives. It has touched you. That is why you have changed."

Unconsciously Megumi lifted a hand toward her face.

"What do you mean _changed_?"

Haku could not bring himself to answer her question.

Instead he told a different truth thought it was just as grave.

"You are like me now," he pronounced grimly, "Trapped between."

Haku caught air as the back door suddenly snicked closed.

His feet left the floor in a gust of wind that ripped through the room.

Magic surged as the red tile hanging there snapped into place.

Just as swiftly it yanked back open.

Amano flinched, throwing up weathered hands as wild wind hit him in the face. The human was dressed for cold; he struggled to keep his hat and scarf. Shock robbed Amano of all color, making the burn scars stand out on his skin. Cold and pale: such an expression seized the human. Hope and horror; they nearly ripped him in two. Equally stunned, Haku stood in mute consternation. Because he knew that expression too well; so many time he had worn it himself.

What could he say to ease this burden?

Nothing: absolutely nothing.

Even without uttering a word Haku betrayed himself. Insight hit the human like a punch to the chest. It rocked through him physically, forcing him to catch the door frame. Amano knew in that moment that Ikiri had not returned. The grim knowledge crushed him with its weight. Turning his back the human staggered away almost running down his son. The youngling's had followed in his father's shadow perhaps to say goodbye.

As Amano disappeared Kai looked after him in confusion.

His gray eyes went absolutely round as they returned only to focus on him.

"_Dad!"_ The boy hushed beneath his breath, _"They're back!"_

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro didn't know what to say to Michio.

She couldn't remember much of life before she moved to Minamizu City.

Some things, yes; like the color of her house and the bell at her school

But for the most part it was all fog inside her head.

"Did I ever tell you my dad could see them?"

Chihiro froze. Michio's dad died in a construction accident. It happened right after Chihiro moved away to Minamizu City. Michio almost _never_ talked about him. When she did Michio sounded like her mom: non-nonsense; coldly practical.

This time was different.

Chihiro'd never heard Michio talk like this. Michi wasn't the nostalgia type. She was hardcore-Shibuya: clothes, booze, clubs, and sex in exactly that order. It was kinda creepy to hear her get wistful. Michio snorted as if amused by something, dragging Chihiro out of her head.

"Even though it pissed my mom off Dad used to bring me up to the development site where he was logging. Really early right before the sun came we'd go up into the forest to the old shrine that was up there. The birds were always singing really, really loud. There were hundreds of them all squawking their heads off. It was all muddy and Dad would let me wear a pair of his work galoshes. They were huge and worked like skis on the way back. I could almost slide down the whole hill in the puddles that formed in the logging truck tracks."

"Even though it was summer it was cold. I could see my breath and it always smelled like clean dirt like it'd just rained. The light cut sideways through the trees. It was like walking through stripes: glistening gold-green for the leaves, freezing indigo for the shade, and stabbing warm flashes of white for sun. The maples were always leaning down over the trail heavy with dew from the morning mists. It made me squeal when they dripped on me. Dad would always laugh."

Here she paused as if not sure how to say what was on her mind.

"As soon as the trees started getting really old there were these little things. They weren't totoro or tanuki or anything cutesy. They were like shadows that hid under the veranda and up in the rafters of the old shrine. Little blobby shadows that scooted around in blurs when you weren't looking. They didn't have eyes but you knew they were looking at you all the same."

An odd premonition crawled across Chihiro's skin as her friend paused again before continued in that distant voice, like she was reliving all of this inside her head.

"Dad took us both one time. You were such a useless goof it was like you'd never been in a forest before. I remember I got really mad at you because you could see them better than I could. You said there were all kinds and that had little jackets and that their voices sounded like squirrels or something. Oh, I was so pissed at you because I wanted to see them the way you saw them so bad! "

Chihiro screwed up her brow until it hurt. Breathing became exceedingly difficult as she tried to remember any of this but couldn't. A stab of fear went surging through her chest that closed her throat and burned her eyes.

"I… I can't remember…"

"Of course you can't. You never could. Not since you lost your shoe and fell into that stupid river trying to get it!"

Chihiro jumped as Michio bit back harshly as if this was all her fault.

But she wasn't mad at her. She was mad at someone else.

"He did this to you… He's the one who made you forget all this…"

Here she smoldered furiously.

"I think that's why I hated him the moment I saw him."

"W-what're you talking about, Michi?" Chihiro stammered faintly, stymied by her friend's phantom anger.

"I'm talking about your _stupid bakemono boyfriend_, Chihiro!"

Chihiro flinched as Michio snapped.

"Remember the river, you idiot! We used to play in the shallow parts during the summer! But when you fell in it was right after a storm so it was running really swift! Everything changed after that!"

In a furious rush she continued

"Even though you were fine your mom was _so pissed_ at my mom! She found all kinds of excuses for us not to play anymore. Things got really weird between us at school. You stopped talking about them. You got really whiney and boring. Then your dad got that job and you moved away. I refused to go the next time Dad offered to take me to the forest. I was still pissed because I couldn't see them the same way you did. I was pissed at you for leaving."

Michio shifted restlessly, growing quieter and quieter.

"I never got another chance to go with him again because he died the next day. A big ass tree fell on him when they were clearing the woods around the shrine."

From the tip of her nose to her toes Chihiro went cold.

It was like her heart had turned to stone inside her chest.

Or worse, some kinda heavy frozen metal like lead.

Michio'd never talked with her about this.

She had a feeling she'd never talked about this with anyone.

"They said it was an accident but I didn't believe them. I hated that forest so much after that. I was glad when they cut down the rest of the trees; moved the shrine, and filled in that _stupid fucking river!_ I was glad when that huge subdivision project covered that hillside. I was glad the crowding houses that blocked out the mountains behind them. I was glad when the stink of asphalt and the buzzing wires replaced the birds and trees. Mom got me a computer and video games with the settlement money. We moved away into a brand new house closer to the city so she could get a job. "

Michio voice thickened to a whisper as it caught in her throat.

"I hated them so much for killing my dad…! I hated them so much I forced myself not to see them!"

Michio swallowed with difficulty, angrily hurrying back into her story.

"I was doing pretty good, actually. I didn't see them again until I came to get you from Izu. I didn't know what they were at first because it'd been such a long time."

Here she hushed as if absolutely terrified.

"Then I saw him in the trees when we were taking pictures with the motorcycle!"

She took a miserable shuddering breath.

"I saw him again in your room that night and I was so _fuckin' scared_!"

Chihiro winced as Michio's hand tightened on her until they hurt.

"I seriously_ hate_ that feeling, Chihiro! It reminds me way too much of what it felt like to wake up listening to my mom sobbing in the front room because the foreman came to tell us dad was dead."

Abruptly switching gears Michio forced herself to continue growing calmer and calmer with every word, which was good because Chihiro didn't know what to say to any of this. She stared at the quilt and tried not to go cross-eyed as her eyes focused on the tight grain of the material floating just above her eyes.

"By the time I came back here you were gone. Everyone was gone. Everything was smashed up and burned. You should know your _fucking_ house didn't help! It didn't want me here and it pulled all kinds of _cheep-ass_ tricks to try and get me to leave! I had to sleep in the fucking car!"

Here Michio let out a gusty breath as if spent.

"By the way, I read your new book. It was the only thing that kept me from going back to Tokyo. I knew you'd come back. Then the bus showed up."

"Neh, kiddo?" Cinna murmured, "Yeh under there?"

As something prodded Chihiro's leg Michio loosed a blood chilling screech. The blanket flew aside as the cat loosed a sputtering hiss and recoiled as every hair on the her body stood up. The curious lantern floating in the doorway guttered surprised pink spitting sparks before fleeing out of sight. Cinna followed in a blur of black fur as Michio scrambled up the wall staring sideways at the doorway as if afraid it might bite.

Cinna glared around the edge of the door with flattened black ears.

Her red eyed dilated to the point that they were all pupils.

Lashing her tail as she sank into a crouch, the cat nodded at Michio.

"Neh," Cinna grated suspiciously, "Who's tha'?"

Chihiro scrambled up straightening her yukata.

"C-Cinna this is, Michio."

Michi's eyes were already perfectly round with recognition.

The cat gave Michio a dubious glance before jerking her head down the hall.

"There's ah bunch o' strangers in t'kitchen. They's yellin' a' kitten but 'e don' seem t'mind. S'like 'e knows 'em 'r somethin'."

"That's Jae, and Kenka, and Megumi," Michio explained without explaining, "They work here now."

At once Michi was gaping as the lantern floated down peering in at them with the warily flickering iris of her candle flame eye. Cinna's ears pricked and she grinned up at the lantern before batting at it playfully. It fled her claws with an irritable hiss of sparks, wafting higher into the rafters.

"Y'ain't never seen one a'fore?"

"Not until now," Michio continued to stare.

The lantern fled into the hall as somewhere in the messy room Michio's cell-phone alerted to a techno-remix of the Mario Brother's underground level theme. Cinna flew to her feet, tail bristled out and ears swiveling as she bobbed her head searching the room for the sound. Chihiro blinked at the impossibility as it continued to ring.

"There's no signal out here!"

At once Michio was digging.

"Your phone must suck. Either that or they put up a new tower recently."

Michio continued to search for her phone.

"No internet; only calls and texts and it sucks! There's nothing to do out here. The frogs get some signal on their TV but they only watch old lady dramas."

Finally Michio found it under a pillow and flipped open the screen.

It illuminated her pale eyes eerily as they darted back and forth reading.

"Who is it?" Chihiro craned her neck nosily.

"Satako."

Chihiro jolted as if she'd been electrocuted.

"S-Satako?"

"Yeah… She an' Lydia've been checking in on you every day now."

Again Michi's face went strangely calm as she continued to read.

"Her 'n' her mom were on their way to Kyoto t'visit family but there's no way they're going to make it now. Train service is suspended. They're stuck in Shizuoka. Bullet train just stopped there and they're gonna rent a car. Satako's hoping they can stay with us for New Years and maybe a bit longer until the earthquake gets sorted out."

Chihiro went perfectly still as eerie premonition blew through her insides.

The bell in her heart tolled as if struck by some distant tremor.

Again it rang and rang, growing closer and closer.

"W-what earthquake?"

* * *

**HAKU**

Without thinking Haku dropped the splinters of the broom.

With wind once again beneath his feet Haku surged past the boy.

Magic sizzled on his skin, tingling in his fingertips.

In one moment he was stepping through the back door of the Onsen.

The next he was sprinting down the hallway of the shrine residence in Kumomi.

Punching through an invisible wall of warmth the smell of incense and smoky old wood washed over him. Not at all hindered by the abrupt change he ghosted through the dim interior of the priest's town residence. Past the closed door to Ikiri's room; around the corner into the large common room; gaining on Amano with every step. The young and old priest were here, fresh from bed, disheveled and disarranged. Both were huddled in front of a television set propped up on a rolling stand the middle of the common room. The humming modern device was completely at odds with the crackling wood fire sending a curl of thin gray smoke up into the black rafters. Already Haku could feel the burn of the static electricity tingled on his eyes and skin. So transfixed were they by the screen that they did not see him or the broken nosed fisherman as he stormed past.

The video momentarily ensnared Haku.

Horrible images of black smoke, red fire and filthy water poured out at him.

He did not want to see these images for they were far too familiar.

He did not want to hear the announcer telling of deaths and drowning.

Throwing himself aside, Haku nearly knocked over a female human as she emerged from the kitchen with a tray of tea looking after Amano with a worried frown. Haku immediately recognized the human who kept the grocery store in town even though the black of mourning robbed her of the light-hearted joy that had characterized her before. She screamed as he all but appeared in front of her, dropping her tray. This he caught before it could fall and spill.

"A-apologies, Naniko-san, I did not mean to frighten you!"

Keiichi cried out in surprise as he toppled over backwards. Awkwardly Haku bowed back and forth between them again and again still holding the tray the room erupted into chaos.

"Dad! Dad, wait!"

Kai pounded down the hall after him only to come up short as Keiichi caught him.

In a protective motion the young priest dragged the boy behind him.

Keiichi also stepped in front of the old human still staring at him cagily.

It was a rude first introduction for he and the young priest were still strangers.

But Somehow Keiichi already seemed to know him.

An eerie recognition was beginning to flicker in his pale gray eyes.

"Hello, O-Kami-sama," The old priest spoke up in surprise, "I did not see you."

The young priest cut in again, staring at him with mounting understanding.

"Are you Nigihayami Kouhaku Nushi?"

Baffled and repelled by the human's knowledge of him, Haku recoiled.

"Mom? Why's everyone yelling?"

Haku wheeled more human children appeared at the mouth of the hall.

Fresh from sleep, they rubbed their eyes.

Haku knew the two human boys.

They were Kai's friends; Naniko's sons.

One of them appealed to the young priest.

"Uncle Keiichi, who's that guy?"

Turned back to them Haku forced the tray into the brittle female's hands.

"Please excuse me, Naniko-san."

She shrank from him with before he surged by.

Even as Keiichi called after him Haku was through the shrine's kitchen in a blink.

The sky opened up over his head as he was out the back door.

Here, in spite of all his haste, Haku came up short as his bare feet sank into snow. Cold invaded through the thin weave of his indigo yukata. Blinking up at the low hanging sky he watched as tiny flakes of white drifted in whispering ribbons through the inky bristles of the pines. Peering through the trees he found Kumomi dusted in white. Already the flakes were beginning to accumulate on the bright red and yellow stripes gables of the dark festival stalls clustered in every available space on the shrine's grounds. A scattering of humans bundled against the biting cold gathered here and there, beginning work in the gray thin light of dawn.

In the distance Amano stalked past them.

The fisherman ignored their greetings as he cross the highway.

He slipped out of sight down the stairs on the other side.

A wind gusted through the shrine grounds making the humans scramble to catch tarps and chairs. The world blurred around him as at the bottom of the icy flight of stairs, in the frozen shadow of the deserted underpass, Haku's hand found the human's shoulder. Instead of crying out in surprise or shrinking with curses as Haku had expected, Amano turned right into him swinging a bunched fist at his face!

Startled, Haku deftly stepped aside.

The human sailed by, stumbling as again he whirled with fists.

Easily Haku avoided the human's violence at a loss for words.

Amano, however, had plenty to say.

"What _t'hell's_ t'point, huh!"

The human raged a he continued to lash out at him.

Amano's words dealt him far more pain than any blow he might have landed.

Helplessly Haku could do nothing but listen.

"What's t'good of being a _God_ if you're as _weak_ an' _useless_ as t'rest of us!"

Finally Amano slipped on some ice.

He would have landed hard had Haku not caught his arm.

_"Get offa me!"_ The human snarled as white plumed on his lips.

Yanking free only to spill onto the concrete, laying there panting and shaking. Standing over him in forlorn silence only to realize the human was crying. Choking on the sobs in an attempt to silence them, Amano turned his back on Haku and dashed his calloused hands at his face. Haku cringed as scorching shame sent his inside burning with a cold that sent him sick to his core.

"Is she dead?" Amano demanded hoarsely, "_Just tell me plain, you bastard!"_

"I… do not know," Haku returned in a besieged whisper.

The broken nosed fisherman glanced up at him sharply. The fury on the human's face transformed to alarm he absorbed that. Questioned boiled inside of Amano's eyes; terrible, terrible questions. Taking a step away Haku gritted his teeth and bowed his head and prepared himself to endure them. He was not sure he could for every word cost him dearly. However, just as he owed Jae, Megumi, and Kenka; he owed Amano answers. Because at the heart of all this, at the very root of it, he was responsible!

Out of nowhere Kubi's words came to haunt him.

Astutely she pointed out that a curse was merely a journey in disguise.

The only way for a journey to end is to find your way home.

Home was not just a place.

It was not just a roof and four walls.

Home was the friends that dwelled within those walls.

Haku could always be at home so long as he had friends.

How long had it taken him to realize this?

Haku recoiled from that truth.

He was not sure he could survive it.

Because it his selfishness had been the catalyst to cause the loss of just that for the one's he held most dear. Haku had broken his family. Because of him Hayashimi had been torn from Suzume just as Ikiri had been stolen from Amano and Kai. Because of him Kana, Fuu, and Shouta were forced to turn their backs on their friends. He had even caused the God children of Ueno to lose Kubi and Karasu. And Okesa! Poor, poor Okesa; twice now she had lost Tomoe! That fate was too cruel. Haku's knees failed as he despaired. Crumbling to a seat on the curb he turned his face into his hands. Shaking with torment as he realized what he had done.

He had brought the worst of curses upon his friends and family.

_"I am sorry!" _

Haku choked desolately, not knowing to whom he spoke.

_ "I am so very sorry!"_

After a long moment Haku realized the human was staring him.

With cold dread he glanced aside at Amano expecting hate.

Instead he caught a flash of something of something very different.

What was that? Was that compassion? Was it sympathy?

Haku blinked. He had not expected that from Amano.

But then again; Haku had, after all, greatly misjudged this human.

Sitting up on the curb, Amano abruptly looked away awkwardly; turning his gaze away at the tiny village nestled between the hillsides. The human watched in silence as through the gentle veil of snow slowly lights flicked on inside the buildings. Shivering violently, the human fumbled in his pocket, withdrawing a small plastic cylinder and a box smelling strong of tobacco. Lighting the tip with shaking hand, Amano drew long and hard on the cigarette so that the embers glowed red in the shadows of the overpass. Here the human glanced at him again, frowning sharply as he stared at Haku's bare feet.

"Aren't you freezing?"

Haku blinked, rubbing his bare arms.

"Yes... But this is all I have."

Amano snorted, staring askance at him as if mystified.

"C'mon."

The human stood, gracelessly, slapping at the snow on his rear.

Then he stumped off heading for the opposite side of town. Haku looked after him in mute confusion before following silently in the male's shadow. Letting his mind empty of thoughts, Haku walked without a word, taking in the silent village as they passed. Memories haunted him here as well. They crossed a narrow cement bridge by the very spot where Kai had fallen into the river, pushing out of the shadow of the highway where Haku had watched Chihiro from afar when first she came to Kumomi. They passed the tiny police department and the hospital where so many things had happened. Here they turned onto the road that ran along the ocean shore. Looking out over the glassy surface of the bay Haku found snow had capped even the twin rocks that guarded the mouth of the harbor. Unconsciously Haku glanced at the boats moored along the sea wall. A strange emotion circled his heart as he picked out Hidé's vessel.

Looking away Haku realized they were making their way to Amano's house.

Haku hesitated as the broken-nosed fisherman pushed through the gate. The dilapidated fence looked as if it was the only thing holding back the wild garden within. The weathered bungalow beyond fared no better. It looked as if it were listing, foundering slightly in the waving sea of weeds. Amano was up the steps and stomping the snow off his boots on the porch as he put out his cigarette in a dish bristling with butts. Holding open the front door the human looked back at him in exasperation.

"C'mon in already! You're letting out all t'heat."

Amano jerked as Haku appeared beside him in his haste not to be rude.

The fisherman retreated inside as Haku shut the door behind him.

Warmth and dark enrobed the entryway as Amano crouched to remove his shoes.

"Want something warm t'drink? Don't really keep much besides tea."

Unnerved by the human's hospitality Haku shook his head.

"Suit yourself."

Stepping out of his shoes Amano shucked his hat, coat, and gloves. These he hooked onto the wall pegs beside the door. Haku glanced at the burn scar on the male's neck and what was exposed of his hand only to freeze as he stared at the black and yellow striped coat on the next hook over. It was obviously a woman's. So were the several pairs of shoes tucked into the shelves beside the door. Switching on a single light Amano padded off down the hall and turned a corner. Knowing not what else to do, unsure of why he was even here, Haku following in his wake feeling very much out of place. The tiny house smelled very faintly of fish and wood smoke. Whatever light the bulb in the hall spared illuminated the bare dingy walls. These were cheered by the drawings both old and new taped and tacked at child-height.

Gods of all shape and size covered the pages.

Kai apparently had been seeing Kami his entire life.

"In here," Amano called.

Craning his neck to see inside the room where Amano had disappeared Haku found the human rummaging around in a closet, dumping clothes onto the quilt covered futon. Haku's eyes went to the single photo beside the bed. Abruptly he threw his eyes aside as he recognized the smiling faces.

Hidé; Ikiri; Amano; Manami; ghosts of the past forever frozen on paper.

Haku caught a winter jacket as Amano tossed it at him.

It smelled strongly of salt water but it was clean and heavy.

"Don't get all uppity an' tell me you don't need these 'cause you do. Besides, you can't go wanderin' 'round dressed like that or people'r gonna think you're crazy."

The human frowned him up and down before holding out a bag.

Accepting it graciously with both hands Haku found a pair of boots inside.

"You're taller'n me. You'll show a little wrist an' ankle but at least you'll be warm. Get dressed an' meet me out back."

With that the human sidled by.

The back door slammed as Haku stared at the clothes.

All were clean, dry, and smelled thoroughly of human soap. Shucking his yukata he found the pants were too big at the waist and too short but the belt remedied that. The flannel shirt was too short at the wrists but it was soft and warm; even warmer when he layered on top the thick quilted vest and the canvas jacket. The poofy synthetic material was stuffed through with fibers. At the back door Haku pulled on the socks and shoes Amano had gifted him, pushing out into the backyard.

The yard was littered with snow covered motorcycles.

Under the overhang of the back shed Amano was dressed in oil stained coveralls.

He was smoking again, breathing and blowing clouds of chemical sickness.

"I figured the Kurogane didn't make it back either."

Wheeling something out of the back, the human pulled a cover off the vehicle.

Beneath was a blue walled motorcycle chromed and leather seated.

It was not at all of the plastic screeching ilk he had seen in Tokyo.

"Oldie but a goldie, this's a 1969 Honda CB 750."

He patted the leather seat with a smirk as he took a long drag on his cigarette.

"Won it offa Ikeda in a poker game a few years ago. Honda put a lot in to this model. It'll get you cruisin' between 140 an' 160 km per hour on highways, but still get you maneuverin' in an' out of traffic. Brakin' system on this model's way more reliable at high speed than some of the newer street bikes. It's quieter; goes longer; an' won't rattle you apart on the way. I'm on the water more than the land these days. You take it with you, got it? Don't argue with me about it either. Wherever you're going, this'll get you where you need t'go an' bring you back in one piece."

With that Amano tossed him the keys.

Haku caught them only to stare at the human in astonishment.

Once he had intended to eat this human out of sheer spite!

Now the same man offered him help?

Haku did not understand; he did not understand any of this.

"Why! " He choked on the words, "Why do you show me such kindness?"

Scowling as if all this was terribly uncomfortable, Amano was looking away now.

A muscle jumped at the back of his jaw as he flustered awkwardly.

"Because you came after us."

Terror flashed like lightning in his eyes as memories of the caverns haunted him.

All the same, gratitude was plain in the human's rough words.

"You saved my life; better yet, you saved my _kid's_ life. I owe you for that."

It took Haku a moment to clear the lump rising in his throat.

He could not bring himself to confess that he had been the cause of their peril.

"I do not deserve your help." Haku returned hoarsely.

Ignoring him now, Amano turned to rummage around in a locket.

He produced a helmet and gloves.

These he placed on the motorcycle's seat.

With that Amano perched on the edge of a work bench and lit another cigarette.

Although the human tried to put up a cool exterior his hands shook violently.

"Look, you might not realize it, but I signed up for this, boss. Don't forget that Reika, _may she finally get some goddamn rest_, pretty much raised me! I've known all along that messin' with t'Otherworld comes at a price. I've been paying it all along. I'm paying it still. But it was my choice t'get mixed up in all this; mine, not yours. So don't go draggin' yourself down the martyr's path on my account."

Amano pulled long and hard on his cigarette.

His tight words rose hoarsely in a cloud of smoke.

"The kids you brought back from Tokyo have been talking about you an' I've been listening. You know what your problem is? You gotta stop thinkin' like a God. We're not ringin' on your bell an' throwing coins an' prayers at you anymore. You're not responsible for everthin' that goes wrong. You didn't cause any of this. You were just in t'wrong place at t'wrong time just like the rest of us. Gods or no Gods, sometimes bad shit just happens, Nigihayami. Trust me. I know."

Now Amano was looking towards the ocean with deep and bitter regret.

Even as outrage simmered in his heart, Haku found himself compelled to listen.

Because the human's words rang with a strange affinity he could not ignore.

"And once it happens it don't matter how it happened. All that matters is gettin' through it an' movin' on to somethin' else 'cause here's somethin' else they don't tell an' it's a _bitch_ of a lesson. Once somethin's done it's gone. Things can't ever be t'same no matter how much you try t'get back. Sometimes there's no going home."

Haku flinched as the last of the human's words.

It struck a terribly raw chord in his heart.

The bleakness of the human's perspective terrified him.

Because Haku fully intended to chase after what was lost.

He was determined to make his home whole again.

But now, standing in the shadow of Amano's words, Haku felt doubt's keen edge.

It cut him deeply, making him bleed fear.

Again he was hard pressed to speak as the emotion robbed him of breath.

"Have you no hope then?"

Haku blinked as Amano glared at him sideways like he was stupid.

The human spat on the ground, obviously annoyed at being interrupted.

"_Tch! _Would give you my favorite bike if I didn't have hope, boss? I wasn't finished so shut up an' listen."

Haku gritted his teeth against an angry retort as the human continued.

"Like I was saying, sometimes there's no going home. But that's not the end of the story. Sometimes you just gotta pick up what you got left that's worth saving and leave what's worst behind. Sometimes you gotta build a new home somewhere else."

Before he could argue Amano fixed Haku with a sympathetic expression.

It was the same expression the human had flashed at him beneath the overpass.

Haku silenced under its intensity, dropping his eyes to avoid meeting it.

This was the wisdom of one who had suffered long and hard.

All the same, he was forced to listen.

Because as he did Haku realized Amano was speaking about himself.

"Guilt's one of t'worst things about being human. Nobody ever tells you that. But you know what? No matter how much people hate you for what you've done, no matter how much you hate yourself for what you've done, you gotta keep movin'. Stop moving an' you'll dry up an' die. Just keep goin' Nigihayami, 'cause there'll always gonna be someone somewhere down that road t'forgive you if you give 'em t'chance."

Stunned and speechless, Haku was forced to admit why the words held him.

The human held a mirror to his soul and Haku had seen himself in the reflection.

Amano was right in so many ways.

But none of that changed the aching misery in his heart.

Weighed by the contradictions in the revelation, Haku did not know what to do.

He looked up as again Amano was reaching to light another cigarette.

Haku took it from his hand, startling the human with his sudden appearance.

"These are poison," Haku muttered lamely.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Amano spit back furiously.

They stared at each other long and hard in that moment.

Again the human struggled with a riot of emotion as color fled his face.

Clearly Haku saw the torment in the human's eyes for it echoed his own.

Just as clearly he saw all the questions Amano could not bring himself to ask.

Burying his suffering in anger, the human pushed by to pace beneath the overhang.

"I can't go with you an' it's not 'cause I'm a coward!"  
Amano explained hurriedly through gritted teeth as color crept into his cheeks.

"I'd go find her myself if I could but I'm not that much of an idiot. I know what I can an' can't do an' I can't leave Kai, not after everything he's been through."

Then he rounded on him, getting right into Haku's face.

For a second he was afraid the human might try to hit him again.

But instead Amano jabbed him in the chest with a single finger.

"Promise me this, Nigihayami. When you find her, no matter what state you find her in, come an' get me when you do, got it? You can owe me that much."

Calmly Haku nodded.

At once all the fight went out of Amano as the human stepped back.

Taking a rude seat on one of the benches he gestured at the Honda.

"So… Do you know what to do with it?"

Haku snorted.

In a blink he was astride the vehicle.

Squeezing in the clutch Haku stepped down hard on the starter.

The motorcycle roared to life beneath him.

Amano loosed a sharp bark of a laugh.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The human was smirking, already heading over to open the back gate.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHIHIRO**

Standing at the split curtain to the kitchen she gripped the doorway.

Chihiro held her breath as she listened to Haku.

She and Michio had been on their way to commandeer the TV from the frogs. She heard Haku's voice before they'd made it into the kitchen. When she realized what Haku was saying his words stop her in her tracks. Standing there barring the way to the kitchen Chihiro listen to him tell what had happened when she was asleep. Her insides scrambled with familiar panic as she heard the dragon in his voice. It was terrifying and wonderful to hear that part of him again. But it disappeared all too quickly.

He didn't say what happened to Lin or Kiri.

Was he keeping secrets again or did he just not know?

Chihiro didn't know either.

Not knowing made her sick to her stomach with fear.

Chouchin bumped into her head companionably startling her from the dark thoughts as the light lifted to hover over her head emitting a rosy glow. Glancing back Chihiro found Cinna lazing in the middle of the hall taking up the whole passage so she could bask in a single thin shred of sunlight finally permeated the dawn snow fall outside. The tip of the cat's tail twitched idly as she stretched and sighed.

"So he is the one who got us into this mess."

Chihiro jumped and her eyes flew back to Michio.

Her friend was still staring at the curtain.

The Goth's face was tight with difficult emotions. Chihiro blinked as she realized Michio had been listening as well. At once anger flared in her chest as a familiar flame kindled there. It was hard not to remember the angry exchange she'd had with Suzume earlier in the morning. Grabbing her friend by the sleeve she towed Michio back down the hall into the great room. Cinna scrambled out of the way, flattening against the wall as they passed. Timidly Chouchin followed, drifting up into the rafters. The lantern's eerie blue light was lost in the dawn pouring into the room through the garden sliders.

"Ow! _Ow_, you're hurting me, Chihiro!"

Michio yanked back her arm.

Without skipping a beat Chihiro quietly laid into her.

"This isn't his fault, Michio! He didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Staring her down, Michio put up her hands defensively.

"Chill out, Chihiro. I know he didn't mean for any of this to happen. Kenka told me he just about _killed_ himself trying to save you. It was bad luck; bad timing; whatever you want to call it. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm mad at him."

Chihiro stomped her foot furiously.

"What reason could you possibly have for being mad at him?"

Michio snorted, coldly counting off on her fingers.

"Besides making you forget almost _everything_ after you fell in the river, the whole _stalked_ you for 6-months bit, _and_ made me start seeing crazy shit again, _this_ is still not cool with me at all!"

Michio pointed at her eyes gritting her teeth.

Slowly she made a moue as she looked Chihiro up and down.

"You're not doing any better. You look like something outta a sci-fi movie."

Heat flooded Chihiro's face as she unconsciously touched her hair.

"It goes away, you know! You just need to be places that aren't so… so..."

"Haunted?" Michio suggested sarcastically.

"Onsen's not haunted!"

As Michio laughed in her face Chihiro sputtered in indignation.

Heat surged in her veins, igniting in her stomach like a spark.

A curl of smoke lifted from her lips as she blew out her breath.

Surprised, Chihiro slapped a hand over her mouth.

Michio blinked and blinked some more before staring at her askance.

"A-are you breathing _smoke_!"

"Uh-uh!" Lips firmly pressed together, Chihiro shook her head and lied.

Michio sighed in exasperation, shivering as she shifted from foot to foot.

"Look, you're not NATO, Chihi-chan. You can't just declare a political action, rush in, and demand that everyone like each other and get along when something goes wrong. People fuck up and get mad. But they need time to work things out on their own time, got it?"

Chihiro blinked and blinked some more as that sank in.

Michio was right. Chihiro was trying to declare a political action.

She was trying to demand that everyone forgive and forget.

It was a thoroughly childish request.

Her heart went cold as she remembered the vicious look in Suzume's eyes.

At that exact moment the phone at the welcome station rang. Overhead the lantern hissed and sputtered in surprise at the rasping clang. Chihiro and Michio shrank with a gasp form the rain of embers. Mutely they stared at the empty hall as it rang again. Distantly hurried footsteps slapped on the wood planks. Cinna fled into the great room, tucking up small against the doorway swiveling her velvet black ears as Natsumi darted through the hall.

The creature's wood smoke hair was a mess and her pale purple kimono uncharacteristically disarranged. She wore no coat or slippers against the cold. The yuna moved with uncanny swiftness in spite of her shuffling steps. As she passed the open doors to the great room she skidded to a halt, stumbling as she wheeled around to face them. Her eerily large almond shaped eyes stared incredulously as she began to shake. Natsumi sat down hard, clutching hands to her mouth.

All the while the phone continued to ring and ring and ring.

Frozen in place, Chihiro could only stare back.

None of the bath-house kami knew they'd come home.

Chihiro hadn't wanted to wake them up.

Not yet; not with what she had to tell them.

Although she was surprised that someone hadn't come to investigate.

There had been a lot of yelling this morning.

Apparently the kami had gotten used to hearing humans screaming.

"Lady Sen!"

Chihiro blinked, realizing Natsumi was reaching for her. Her dark eyes were luminous with tears in the dawn light. Extricating herself from Michio's grip Chihiro came forward feeling the warmth of the sunlight on her back. As she went a strange calm washed through her. She took the kami's tiny frozen hands in hers and knelt beside her. Natsumi choked on a question, appealing to her with a desperate expression as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Chihiro understood all the same. Taking the kami into her arms she held her close as Natsumi fell perfectly still.

"Are they dead?" The yuna finally choked in a miserable hush.

"No," Chihiro returned quietly knowing with certainty that was true.

The tiny God-woman wilted in relief, letting Chihiro hold her for a long moment.

Then Natsumi nodded tremulously before drawing back.

As she wiped her face with her kimono sleeve she hardened with sensibleness that reminded Chihiro too much of Lin. Instantly a knot of pain tightened in her throat sending an uncomfortable burn chasing at the edges of her eyes. She swallowed it, putting forward a strong front as she meet the yuna's weary gaze. Obviously afraid, Natsumi kept hold of Chihiro's hands as if afraid to let go, whispering the next beneath her breath.

"How long are you home this time?"

Here Chihiro's composure faltered.

After being one for so very long.

After she finally found her way home.

Now she was forced to leave again.

"I… I don't know."

"At least stay until tomorrow?" Natsumi pleaded quietly, tightening her hands, "Tonight is New Years. We've been asked to perform at the shrine like we did at the summer festival. Please say you'll come at least for a little while? I know it will mean so much to the others. Help us begin in the next year on a happy note?"

Chihiro blinked.

It was New Years!

"Okay," she nodded with a smile that felt like a lie, "We'll stay till tomorrow."

The old yuna's face lit up like the moon as she smiled.

Chihiro jolted at the God-woman planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you, Lady Sen!" Natsumi cried joyously, "The others will be so pleased."

As Chihiro opened her mouth to ask about them the phone started ringing again.

Before she could waved it into silence the ringing stopped.

For some reason she paused, looking toward the kitchen.

Kenka pushed through the split of the curtains.

He blinked, coming up short as he saw her.

"C-Chihiro?" He began uncertainly pointing back the way he'd come, "Your mom's on the phone."

Stupidly she stared at him.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd talked to her mom. They had been on the outs with each other since she'd left for Tokyo. An eerie premonition tightened in her chest as the bell rang deep in the back of her head. Blinking and blinking some more, she stood awkwardly and made her way into the kitchen as Kenka retreated through the curtain. Ducking through the split in the fabric, she marveled at the warmth held in by the curtain. Here Chihiro came up short on the top step as Haku's friends turned to stare at her. They wore the same wide-eye expression of shock Natsumi turned on her not too long ago. Abruptly they looked away, busying themselves with making breakfast. It smelled like a French restaurant; bread, eggs, and herbs; no rice or fish. Instantly her mouth was watering.

"Wow," she went weak kneed with hunger, "That smells insanely good!"

"It'll be ready in a second," the really pretty woman commented shortly.

What was her name? Megumi?

But then Chihiro noticed someone missing.

She turned in a circle, finishing by looking up at the rafters.

"W-where's Haku?"

Jae cast an unnerved glance at the back door as he cracked eggs into a bowl.

"He, uh… He went through there to that shrine in town."

"Oh."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. Why'd he go into the village? Here Kenka held out the heavy black receiver. Blinking rapidly, she forgot about everything else as she accepted it with shaking hands. A pinch of apprehension was already tightening he chest. Talking to her mom was never easy.

"Mom?"

_"Oh, my God, Chihiro!"_ Yuka all but shrieked from the other end.

Chihiro cringed, holding the phone at arm's length her mom continued to scream.

All the blood rushed to her face as everyone looked over at her.

You probably could've heard Yuka all the way in Kumomi.

_"I know Asakusa's no where near Aoyama! I tried calling the house but no one picked up. I tried your cell phone but the call wouldn't go!"_

Chihiro fell perfectly still as she listened to her mother's voice.

Her mom was upset; like really, really upset.

She wasn't even close to this upset after the car accident.

"_Oh, Gods! _ The pictures and the video they keep showing on the news are terrible! Everything's _flooded_ and on _fire!_ I though you were still in Tokyo! I was so very worried about you! _I'm so glad you're alright, sweet pea!_"

Her mom hadn't called her that in years.

The pet name triggered all kinds of difficult emotions.

Stunned, Chihiro sank to a seat on the edge of the stool Kenka brought her.

The tall guy hovered at her elbow, face pinched in silent concern.

But her mom wasn't done yet.

"_I'm sorry!_ I'm so sorry been so hard on you! I'm sorry I gave you all that _terrible_ advice about Karou and that I wasn't supportive after your friend died in the car accident! I've never known what to do with you! You were always such a _strange_ little girl. I never felt like you were mine. I used to joke with your father that they sent us home with the wrong baby. But you are my girl. I was just too scared to admit it. I was afraid I was going to do everything wrong just like my mother did with me."

Chihiro couldn't believe it but her mom was crying!

She could barely understand her she was sobbing so loudly.

She couldn't imagine her mother crying.

Mascara running; pink lipstick all smeared.

It shook her to the core.

At once she was stammering inane comforting things in a rush.

"It's okay, mom! Really, it's okay!"

_"Come home, Chihiro! Please come home!"_

Yuka pretty much begged.

"I don't know if you can, but say you'll try? After everything that's happened this year I want a new start for us. Your father has a few days off around New Years. We can have fried chicken and cake for diner and go to the shrine together. You'd like that, right? I never understood why you liked shrines so much but we can buy good luck arrows together. They're so pretty, aren't they?"

Chihiro blinked, completely stunned by all this.

Yuka wasn't religious in the slightest.

The only Gods she prayed to were Louis Vuitton and Lancome of Paris.

As her world turned upside down all she could do was say yes.

"O-okay! I'll be there as soon as I can tomorrow."

"Really?" Yuka's voice cracked as finally she stopped sobbing.

"I'll call you in the morning when we get on the road, okay mom?"

"Thank you, sweet-pea! Your father's going to be so excited! I'll have your room all ready. If Michio's with you be sure to bring her too. Call me later and let me know, I have so much to do. I have to go to the store now. Bye-bye! Bye-bye!"

Yuka hung up before she could respond.

"B-bye, mom," Chihiro whispered.

As she returned the receiver to the cradle Michio cut into the silence.

"Did I just hear you tell Yuka you're coming home tomorrow?"

Chihiro jolted on the stool. Turning back to the room she found Michio was perched on the edge of the bottom step. The Goth was glaring at her like she was a complete idiot. Chihiro blinked, looking after Kenka as the guy left her side to hastily join Jae and Megumi at the stove. Hurriedly he looked for something to do only to come up short. Chihiro frowned at the worried look Megumi flashed Jae as she continued to fry pancakes. Pulled in two directions, Chihiro turned to hiss beneath her breath at Michio.

"What was I supposed to say? No?"

Michio threw up her hands in exasperation, "Yes, Chihiro! Absolutely, no!"

"Why?" She threw back hotly, "She's my mom!"

"You really think that's a good idea right now?"

The Goth waved wildly in every direction.

"It'll just be for a little bit. Just long enough to calm her down. She's _totally_ freaked out right now because of everything that's going on in Tokyo!"

They all jumped as something clattered on the floor.

It was a metal mixing bowl.

With his back to her Kenka bent over the kitchen counter.

He didn't bend to pick it up.

He was gripping the edge of the counter like his life depended on it.

Chihiro's insides scrambled with dismay as he shook visibly. Before Megumi or Jae could do anything he threw down his kitchen towel. Without a word he fled up the back stairs into the second story. In wordless dismay Jae and Megumi looked after him. Michio lept to her feet as a yokai darted out of the pantry to pick up the towel and metal bowl Kenka dropped, holding these out to the grim faced woman at the stove as he pointed after the tall guy.

"Tall human is sad."

As Bozu stated the obvious Jae loosed an angry growl.

He scrubbed his face with his hands before throwing one the way Kenka had fled.

"Look! I'm tryin' my best not t'listen in on your personal shit, ladies, but could you be a little more sensitive t'the fact that some of us _can't_ go home right now! So, d'you mind takin' your _fucking_ vacation plans somewhere else!"

Chihiro cringed as she realized what an insensitive jerk she'd just been.

Michio, however, wasn't nearly so sensitive.

"Fuck you, asshole!"

Michio snapped at Jae nastily.

"Any time, sweetheart!"

H threw one of the eggshells he'd just cracked.

Michio uttered an incredulous noise as it bounced off of her shin.

Snagging one of the sitting cushions from the nook she hurled it at him.

Shrinking under his hat Bozu fled back into the pantry with a squeal.

Jae ducked as the pillow flew right over his head.

The cushion narrowly missed Megumi.

Onsen guttered in the hearth as it hit the back window.

The wall jolted, sending cooking utensils clattering into the sink.

_"Goddamnit!"_ Megumi thundered as she straightened shaking her fists, "If you're going to act like _children _will you _get out of the kitchen and let me work!"_

Chihiro did exactly that.

Leaving them behind, she followed Kenka up the back stairs.

Cold folded around her as she padded down the empty hall. Her breath plumed white at her lips. But even up here the quiet here couldn't entirely muffle the angry shouts from below. As she passed the back window she came up short. The Bath House kami were standing on the veranda outside the God wing. Natsumi was among them looking like she was explaining something. Her heart swelled at the sight of them. But the sweet moment turned sour. From their expressions she could tell they were listening in on the kitchen warfare. From their expressions the Gods looked afraid to enter their own house. Mortified, Chihiro passed the window by before they could see her.

Before she could round the corner Chihiro paused again.

Voices filtered from further down the hall, not the kitchen.

She recognized Suzume's voice immediately.

"What is it, child? Does your heart pain you?"

Chihiro blinked, taken aback by the gentleness in the fox's tone.

"No…" Kenka snuffled loudly, "It's not that. You fixed that."

In a flash Chihiro remembered how Suzume had help Kenka during his attack.

Jae said he had heart problems that needed medication.

Suzume pressed on with stubborn concern.

"But you clutch your chest as if it pains you."

"I… I'm just really sad," Kenka explained in a quiet rush, "No offense, but everything's kinda gone to hell in my life. I… I'm seriously worried about someone I love. But I'm scared I'll never see him again."

"I see," Suzume returned quietly.

Chihiro's heart sank as she listened.

There was so much more to it than that.

Here Kenka's voice went soft and small with awe.

"Thanks. I never did get to tell you thank you. For everything, I mean."

"It is my duty, child." Suzume responded woodenly

"A-are you okay?" Kenka began hesitantly, "You kinda look the way I feel."

Chihiro held her breath in worried anticipation of the fox's harsh bark.

But it never came.

"It is as you say, child," Suzume murmured, "Everything has gone to hell."

Silence fell between them at that.

Quickly Kenka changed the subject.

"T-Thanks," he repeated, "For letting us stay here."

"I have little say in that matter, child," the fox replied evasively, obviously embarrassed by Kenka's gratitude, "This house is cared for by Chihiro. It is by her grace that those who dwell here may call this place home. "

It took her a moment to absorb that.

He made it sound like she could kick them out at any moment.

"Is it alive? This h-house, I mean."

Suzume snorted as if amused.

"And what gives you that idea, human?"

Chihiro blinked.

Wait… Was Suzume teasing Kenka!

At once Kenka explained hurriedly as if afraid someone might overhear him.

"S-sometimes I feel something watching me up in the rafters. Doors open and close and stuff flies around. I thought that might just be the k-… the others who live there. Then I thought it might be _ghosts_ or stuff I can't see?"

"It is indeed just the house," Suzume returned cryptically.

Kenka paused as if absorbing that.

"Does it have a name?"

"What would it matter if she does?"

He was still teasing, purposefully leading Kenka on.

Chihiro found herself wondering if Onsen actually had a name.

Suzume was letting on as if she did have a name.

If she did have a name Chihiro wanted to know too.

Hunkering down she listened in intently.

"Oh… It's a _she_? Okay."

Kenka seemed a bit overwhelmed by that.

"If she can hear me I'd like to talk to her. I get the feeling she's trying to be nice to me. I dunno. I suppose I just wanted to thank her for putting up with us."

Something clattered loudly in the kitchen below.

Jae and Megumi's voices spiked loudly.

Here Kenka sighed gustily.

She could hear Suzume smiling as he spoke next.

"Do not worry, child. She knows you are grateful."

Chihiro jumped as the house creaked and snapped, uttering a tiny squeak.

"Hmmm," Suzume muttered archly, "It appears we have mice."

"Huh?" Kenka returned in confusion.

"Nothing."

Finally Chihiro couldn't take it anymore. Peering around the corner she found Kenka on the top step of the empty hall. Suzume was nowhere to be seen. Kenka startled as if just noticing this himself. He jumped again as she came around the corner, pink cheeked with embarrassment. His face fell as he saw her. Dropping his head, he absently smoothed the shortly cropped hair at his nape as she came over to sit beside him.

"Sorry," he muttered, "Didn't mean to storm off like that."

"No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I was being a jerk."

Here the silence stretched to the point of becoming uncomfortable.

In a panic Chihiro started babbling.

"Do you have a lot of family?"

"Nope," he fiddled absently with his rainbow colored necklace, "Just Shouta."

Here his face fell even more.

His dark eyes turned hollow as they stared down the stairs.

Feeling even more like a complete jerk Chihiro started wringing her hands.

"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't've asked."

"Seriously, its okay, Chihiro," Kenka flashed a smile so brittle it nearly broke.

Again she was babbling; desperate to say something to make him feel better.

"You can stay here as long as you like."

"Thanks. I might just take you up on that," Kenka frowned somberly, "I dunno about Jae and Meg, though."

Chihiro blinked, suddenly worried.

"Are they talking about leaving?"

Kenka glanced at her sideways with an uncertain frown.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Chihiro, but Meg doesn't need a place to stay. She's loaded; like crazy rich. She chose to work at _Le Pichet_ just like she chose to work at the dance studio. The only reason she's sticking around is because of Jae."

Chihiro frowned.

"Oh. Are they, um… together or something?"

Here Kenka laughed explosively.

He covered his mouth before leaning close as if this was a secret.

"Ask them and they'll describe themselves as emphatically, completely, and absolutely _not_ together. But you've seen them together. They _hate_ each other so much it's obvious to everyone but them."

Here Kenka's grin fell as he became completely serious.

"I really think that's why they're at each other so much. I think that's why Megumi's so mean to Kana, too. Kana's got a _major_ thing for Jae."

Chihiro held her breath against questions, not wanting to be rude again.

But she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Meg used to teach us ballet at the dance studio. She's been studying all her life to be a principal dancer."

As she stared at him blankly his grin returned, growing wider and wider.

"That's ballet-speak for the most important dancer in a company."

Here he launched back into his story about Megumi.

Intrigued by where this was going Chihiro leaned against the wall and listened.

"She and her brother were shipped off for private lessons in France and Russia as soon as they could walk. Unfortunately rich people aren't very good at mixing it up. Meg trained exclusively with her brother pretty much her whole life. "

Here Kenka grew speculative again.

"From what I've heard about Sora he's a serious bitch with a massive power complex. I really think her brother isolated Meg from other dancers on purpose because she was better than he was. At least she used to be."

Chihiro blinked and spoke up in spite of herself.

"What d'you mean, use to be?"

A touch of awe touched him as he looked overhead.

"Meg burns it up in solo performance. She's absolutely amazing. I hope you get to see her dance. She could be the next Yoko Morishita (1). But here's the kicker: the moment you ask her to perform a _pas de deux _(2) with anyone other than her brother she's toast! The same for dancing in a chorus; she just can't do it. That's a crippling deficiency for any dancer, not just a principle. She never got past it. Her brother's career took off but she never went anywhere but his practice studio. At least until she met Jae."

Kenka's face lit up again as if excited by their prospects.

It was obvious from his animated gestures how much he loved dance.

"Meg's brother's apparently some hotshot for the New National Theater in Tokyo. He has the dance master use Meg in auditions to see how the male dancers handle working with an _ill-match partner_."

Kenka derisively drew the quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

"Boy, they sure got a surprise when they set up Jae and Megumi. Imagine how shocked they were? Here's Jae: this rough-edged foul-mouthed punk who you'd expect to beat you senseless, steal your wallet, and use the money to go booze it up at a Hip-Hop club. There's Meg: an ice princess with a pedigree and serious legs but no partnering chops what-so-ever. Dude, I seriously wish I had been there to see it!"

Here Kenka chortled triumphantly, crossing his arms and sitting back.

"Jae made the cut. The director was so impressed they _both_ made the cut."

Here Kenka's face fell as he lapsed into silence.

Before she could explode he picked up where she left off.

"After the announcement one of the other applicants gave Jae a hard time about being half-Korean. Jae responded exactly as you'd expect him to. _Pow!_"

Wearily Kenka pantomimed an upper-cut punch before frowning grimly.

"They kicked him out and barred him from all the major ballet auditions. It took Jae almost six months to pay back that asshole's medical bills. He would've stopped dancing but Kazue-sensei wouldn't let him."

Kenka spread his hands helplessly before going back to picking at his necklace.

"She came after him, you know? It took her a while, but Meg tracked Jae down. I'd never seen her before so I didn't think anything of it when she started working in the kitchen as our _pâtissière _(3). I mean, she was practically raised in France. Apparently she took up French cooking in her free time. Jae didn't say anything about it either. They treated each other like strangers. I only started to catch on when she showed up in the studio. They had some serious history. You can see it if you watch them together."

Here he grew wistful, pillowing his chin in the cup of his palm.

"I've only seen them dance together a couple of times. They only practice when they think no one is around. You know when two people just click? When Jae and Meg dance they more than click. It's like they've got some kinda Vulcan mind-meld going on. But Meg's got a serious attitude problem. I think we have her brother to thank for that one. She's been dancing angry her whole life. It's not easy to turn that around. Jae's been working on that. Meg's been working on it too. Unfortunately it's slow work for the both of them and the fall out seriously pisses off the rest of us."

Mystified, Chihiro frowned at Kenka.

"How do you know all this?"

He shrugged diffidently.

"I listen. People like to talk to people who listen. Meg doesn't have any friends. She's actually pretty cool when you can get her by herself."

Here Kenka fixed her with a knowing sideways glance.

"Anyways, I can tell you like to ask a lot of questions. I told you all this preemptively so you wouldn't ask Jae or Megumi. Don't let on what I told you. Just leave it alone. Let them work it out themselves."

Chihiro blinked as he called her out only to wilt in embarrassment.

"Sorry… I don't mean to be nosy."

Kenka bumped her shoulder companionably.

"S'okay, Chihiro. I know it means you're just concerned. In all honesty, I'm really kinda glad to have someone looking out for all of us right now."

Here his face went dark with fear as he stared down the stairs.

This silence was more than awkward. It was critically grim.

Kenka crossed his arms over his chest, hunching as he did.

Heat flooded her cold cheeks as he furtively glanced at her hair.

"How bad is it really? Tell me the truth, okay?" He murmured tremulously, "Is this something I can live with? Can I get another job, an apartment, and maybe even a cat? Or is this really a game changer?"

Looking away abruptly, Chihiro followed his gaze down the stairs.

She tried not to think about the scar on her leg.

She tried not to hear what Haku had said in the kitchen below.

But in the end she couldn't lie.

Weird; wasn't that supposed to be a kami problem?

Taking a deep breath she leaned into him, hooking her arm through his.

"I think you should stay here for a while."

Kenka blinked, looking at her sharply as if he had been expecting a different answer. As she refused to meet his gaze he nodded wordlessly. As he began to shake she put her arm around him. Wow, he really was all limbs. Skinny, skinny, bird; she could feel his heart hammering away in his chest. He leaned on her more and more until she turned to hug him. Like she was some kind of life preserver he held onto her so tightly it almost hurt. She didn't care. She was happy to let him squeeze her until she squeaked.

After a long moment he let out the breath he was holding, sitting back.

For some reason he wouldn't look at her.

Snuffling and dashing a hand at his eyes as if embarrassed.

"I heard you and Natsumi talking. Sorry for listening in. You're not just going to visit your Mom tomorrow. You're going after the ones who're still missing."

It wasn't a question.

"Ikiri, right? And Hayashimi?"

Chihiro cringed from the names as Kenka pressed her for info she didn't have.

"Where are you going? Can you tell me that much?"

She folded up her legs, hiding her face in her knees as she shivered violently. But the shudders rattling her teeth had nothing to with the cold. The terrible helplessness of not knowing returned, pouring over her like a bucket of ice water until she was shaking with worry. Kenka sidled closer, wrapping his arm around her, murmuring useless things.

"Its okay, Chihiro… It's going to be okay…"

"No, it's not okay, Kenka! I don't understand anything about what happened last night! I don't know who Shurui is! I don't know anything about that bell, or Shitamachi, or the Ueno-Kami, or the _stupid_ cavern Kubi was going on about! I don't even know where to start looking for it!"

Fighting the urge to cry Chihiro gritted her teeth against despair.

"Don't be sad, kami-human. Bozu and Chouchin can help."

Chihiro and Kenka gasped in unison, jolting back against the stairs.

Standing on the middle landing was the one-eyed yokai.

Bobbing out from under the first floor rafters the lantern drifted over its head.

The tiny creature blinked at them solemnly as he wrung the brim of an old bowler.

"We are Ueno-kami. We live in Ueno our whole lives."

* * *

**Notes:**

(1) Yoko Morishita (森下洋子 Morishita Yoko, born in Hiroshima December 7, 1948) is a Japanese ballerina for Matsuyama Ballet Company. She represented Japan as a prima ballerina. Won for the Gold Medal at the 1974 Varna International Ballet Competition, one of the highest honor any ballet dancer can achieve.

(2) In ballet, _pas de deux_ (French, steps of two) is a type of duet. This is one of the danced performed by a principal dancer. A principal may be male or female. The position is similar to that of soloist; however, principals are hired by a company to regularly perform not only solos, but also _pas de deux_. It is a coveted position in the company and the most prominent position a dancer can receive.

(3) A pastry chef or station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHIHIRO**

As the lantern floated higher and higher, warming the dark with her rosy light, Chouchin watched them through a soot smudge part in the ribs with the flitting blue flame of her eye. Oblivious to their surprise, Bozu plopped down on the middle landing, sitting seiza on the bare boards as produced a fold of brittle paper from the front of his drab kimono.

"Kami used to live up top but went under when humans started fighting in Ueno."

Unfolding the paper he showed an ancient ukiyo-e print.

It was a battle scene: burning buildings and tiny people running around with pikes.

Chihiro stared at it mutely. She had no idea what it meant.

Kenka blinked rapidly, leaning forward to peer at it.

"I, uh… I think he's talking about the Battle of Ueno. (1) We went on a fieldtrip to Ueno Park in high school to see the National Museum. That's Kan'ei-ji in the print. It's the old temple complex that used to include the big pagoda over by the zoo (2). Most of it burned down way back when"

"Boshin War," Bozu added solemnly as he folded the print, "1868."

"Wait… _1868!"_ Kenka was stunned, "H-how old are you?"

Bozu glared as he jammed his tonsured head back into the bowler.

"_Shhhh! _ Tall-human is rude!"

Turning up his nose the yokai addressed Chihiro instead.

"Bozu used to live at Kan'ei-ji, kami-human."

He held out his tattered sleeves revealing it was a monk's robe.

"Abbot was nice human. Always smiling. Always left rice and sake for Bozu. Bozu helped keep silly monks quiet. Bozu listened to make sure they weren't too loud. If humans were too loud or too stupid then Bozu tell them to be quiet!" (3)

He grinned as he held up a single finger and shushed loudly.

But here his face fell as the goblin's single eye fixed on the floor.

"When humans started fighting Kan'ei-ji burned… Everything burned… Not even shrines and temples safe. Kami can't survive human fire so went under ground. Shut up tight in the caverns and never came up."

Bozu held up his four-fingered hands before making them into a circle.

"Used to be eight caverns. Built Wheel of Yamanote to travel between. Big wheel! So big makes ground shake!"

Stretching onto his tip toes Bozu gestured grandly.

Immediately Kenka's eyes lit up with recognition at the name.

Chihiro glanced at him enviously wishing she knew what that meant.

But she held her breath against questions not wanting to interrupt.

Because finally she was getting some answers.

As Bozu continued he fell grim, put his tiny hands on his chest.

"Kami went under to hide from human evil. Bad idea because bad was already inside. Not just inside the caverns but inside us. Shrine kami got mad at the temple kami 'cause said was their fault for bringing in the bad. Temple kami got mad at shrine kami for saying it was their fault. Started fighting each other below just like the stupid humans up top. Kami killed kami for no reason! Broke the Wheel and made the earth shake so bad caverns collapsed!" (4)

Stricken by the memory Bozu shrank in on himself.

"Only one cavern left after that. No temple kami left: only Bozu and stupid, stupid bat. Barely any shrine kami left either. Bad was so bad by now started _eating_ each other 'cause was so bad. Shitamachi had to open up or else there'd be nobody left. Wasn't any help because was even worse up top."

Bozu lifted his eye to the ceiling as he tipped the brim of the bowler back.

"Human's made the sky rain fire. Out of the fire came Garuda and Kubi-san."

Bozu suddenly jerked as his wide eye all but devoured his face.

"_Ah!"_ He shrieked as if remembering something important.

Kenka hauled her upright, pulling her up the stairs to her feet as the goblin capered forward pointing at her accusingly.

"Kami-human must tell Bozu where is Kubi-san! Bozu promised Ueno-kami he'd bring her back. Tell Bozu now! Where is she! _Where is Kubi-san!_"

Before he could clamber up the rest of the stairs and chase after them Cinna appeared with a hiss. The startled yokai disappeared into flicker of shadows before the cat could pounce on him. Landing with a loud thud on the empty board, the cat lashed her bushy tail, growling low in her throat as she stalked a circle before glaring up at the lantern. Chouchin spit sparks of surprise at Bozu's sudden departure. Wiggling her sharp claws, Cinna's red eyes contracted to slits as she sat on her haunches, shimmying her shoulders as if making ready to jump. Guttering and sputtering, the lantern shot up into the rafters where she pressed pale and dim with fear.

"C-Cinna!" Chihiro demanded breathlessly, "What the heck was _that_!"

Flattening her ears, the cat glared up at them with red reflective eyes.

Kenka flinched, pulling on her even as she resisted.

"Aye don' trust no _Temple_ Kami!"

She spat the word viciously, lashing her tail again.

"But he has information we need!"

The cat hissed, baring her sharp yellow teeth.

"Does 'e! Wot tha' pipsqueak got t'say don' matter _squat!_ Y'don' wanna get mixed up wit' 'em. He an' tha' long-necked bitch wot got us in t'this _mess!_ They's got's too many devices! Always wheedling an' dealin'! S'no good, kiddo! They's always waitin' t'_stab_ y'in t'back!"

Taken aback by the cat's vehemence, Chihiro swallowed with difficulty.

What was it Tomoe said about Kubi?

_ This one is known to me. Too much fault lies at her feet._

She struggled to resurrect the ghost's words from her memory.

_ I will not see her betray us for the sake of her own._

She had no idea what to make of this. Who could she trust?

Suddenly the cat's ears were swiveling, listening to something intently

Hunkering down, she craned her neck to peer toward the entryway.

"Y'hear tha'?"

Chihiro strained her ears, catching a distantly approaching putter.

"Sounds like a motorcycle."

"S'comin'up t'front drive!"

Cinna darted around the corner, heading for the entryway.

Grabbing Kenka's arm Chihiro towed him behind her.

Already the door was open. Beyond the overhang of the veranda the world was blanketed in white. But the low heavy clouds had already broken. Frozen shards of sapphire sky turned the world into a glittering fantasy. Light flashed off chrome as chugging along, cutting a deep path in the snow beneath the bending bamboo, a vintage blue bike appeared out of the banks. Chihiro didn't recognize his clothes or the white helmet he wore.

But she knew the rider immediately.

So did Kenka.

He let loose an amazed laugh.

"Where the hell did he get _that_?"

As they loitered at the edge of the deck shivering into each Haku pulled to a stop beside the snow covered bulk of her Audi. Cutting the engine he pulled off his helmet and shook out his short hair like something straight out of a movie. Kenka uttered another laugh that blew up from his lips in a frozen cloud.

"_Dude!_ That was a serious entrance!"

Chihiro heart thrilled into her throat as Haku came striding across the bridge. He was pink cheeked from the cold, smiling broadly. His green eyes flashed like bits of sea glass beneath the inky fringe of his hair. It was times like this that Chihiro was reminded he was still part God. Only Gods could be this beautiful. In his faded black jeans and the worn canvas jacket he could've been on the cover of some terrible middle aged woman's magazine. Gladly Chihiro would've bought that magazine. Already he was holding out his arms for her. She could've jumped off the veranda right into them.

Unfortunately Cinna beat her to it.

Chihiro startled sideways knocking right into Kenka as a blur of black launched by. The cat vaulted off the edge of the deck like a high-diver springing from a board. Haku caught the cat as he wheeled sideways, using her momentum to sling her up over his shoulder like a bag of rice. He moved with a sinuous balance even as Cinna wiggled enthusiastically on his shoulder. Stunned, Chihiro found herself staring. Anyone else would've ended up in the snow.

_"Neh, neh, neh!"_ The cat rasped enthusiastically, _"Make me breakfast, neh!"_

It wasn't a request.

She pulled on the back of his coat before counting off on her fingers.

"Aye wan' eggs an' toast wit' strawberry jam an' bacon an' more bacon."

Haku sighed in exasperation wearing something between a smirk and a frown. His mellow tenor was bright affection as he hefted her down into his arms.

"Jae and Megumi have already begun breakfast, Okesa."

As if she weighted nothing he set her back on her feet only to submit as the loudly purring cat seized him around the middle. Vigorously she rubbed her face against his chest covering him in black fur. It became obvious to Chihiro the cat wasn't listening.

"Don' forget t'jam, neh? An' t'bacon. Aye love bacon."

She grinned up at him, swatting him hard on the ass before skipping back into the house. Kenka choked on a laugh as Haku went absolutely red in the face, avoiding looking at her as he tried to dust the cat fur from his shirt. All the same his green eyes were shining as he fought to retain his indignant expression.

But here Chihiro's heart sank as a cloud passed over Haku's eyes.

In the same moment Michio wandered out onto the veranda.

She looked him up and down as if judging every inch of him.

"Came to see what the fuss was about. Oh, look. It's you."

He bowed gracefully though his eyes never left her.

"Good morning, Michio-san."

"Don't see what's so good about it," She sniffed, "Sorry I came after you this morning. Don't worry. I've got plenty of bootlaces."

She wasn't sorry at all.

All the same, Haku flashed a wan smile.

"Since your knives were missing I took your words in jest."

She frowned mildly, jabbing a thumb down the hall.

"Funny that; there's plenty of knives in the kitchen. Nice hair cut, by the way. Makes you look like less of a stalker."

Haku smoothed that over with a thoroughly diplomatic reply.

"I am pleased that you approve, Michio-san."

Again she snorted.

"I never said I approved."

With that she turned her back and shuffling back into the house.

Red faced with mortification, Chihiro wilted into her hands.

"Sorry… Sorry, sorry, sorry…"

"Do not apologize, dear one," Haku amended as he nervously looked after Michio, "I though that went well."

Kenka followed his gaze with a perplexed moue.

"_Dude! _ What'd you do to piss her off so much?"

Haku sighed.

"I exist."

Kenka blinked.

"So she just hates your guts?"

Haku nodded solemnly, "Unfortunately, yes."

"Right. Duly noted that you two are not to sit anywhere near each other."

Shivering violently, Kenka gestured at house.

"Mind if I duck back inside? I'm gonna freeze if I stay out here."

Haku bowed in gratitude to his friend.

"Thank you, Kenka. We'll be right in."

"Dude, _stop bowing!_ This isn't the Tokugawa era, right? You can just wave, remember? Or if you want to be cool about it just put up your hand like this."

As Kenka laughed and flapped his hand Haku went red in the face.

Following the instructions he lifted a single hand awkwardly.

Chihiro had to hold her breath to keep from laughing.

"See? That didn't kill you, did it?"

"I feel terribly rude," Haku muttered uncomfortably.

"It's fine, dude. See you at breakfast."

With a wave and a smile the tall guy hurried back into the warmth of the house.

Chihiro stared after him worrying.

He looked like he was feeling better. But was he really?

Thankfully Haku distracted her as knelt beside her to untie his shoes. At once Chihiro was staring, mesmerized by the way he moved. Before she realized he had straightened enough so that his face was level with hers. Startled, she knocked back against the wall only to have him follow. As Haku leaned in the warmth of his body crashed against her. His adoring green eyes filled her vision, shining again as his smiling lips murmured against hers.

"Good morning, dear one."

Then he stole a kiss that made her knees go weak.

"Hi," she breathed against his lips.

Gathering handfuls of his shirt she pulled hard. He sucked in a startled breath that turned to a chuckle as he knocked into her, following obediently as they sank to a rude seat on the bench that ran beneath the overhang of the porch. Using him like a blanket, Chihiro curled up under his arm, practically climbing inside his coat.

"If you are cold, dear one, we should go inside."

She ignored his sensible suggestion.

"Not yet," she shivered stubbornly.

She was still having trouble believing this was all real. It was so surreal; being here with him after everything that'd happened. All she wanted to do was just sit with him. She just wanted to feel him against her. The physical contact was proof she desperately needed, because she was so very scared that this might turn out to be another dream. Chihiro wanted to have him to herself for a bit more before it got... _hectic_. That was a terrible way to characterize the way things stood. It was such a gross understatement Chihiro felt ashamed for even thinking it. But even as they sat there listening to the gentle whisper of the creek, even as the snow began to slough off the roof, making the icicles melt in the increasing sun, Chihiro could feel the weight of what had happened come pressing down on them.

"I have been to see Amano-san."

She had to swallow before she could speak.

Her mouth had gone completely dry.

"Is he okay?"

It was the dumbest question she could have asked.

Already her face was burning from just how stupid.

What was wrong with her this morning!

"No." Haku returned quietly.

Looking up, she found Haku's face dark and distant as his glittering eyes stared over the bridge at the bike. Chihiro couldn't think of anything else to say that could possible make him happy. So she just blurted it out hoping it would help.

"S-Satako's coming."

Haku's his face wiped in shock as he looked down at her.

"Satako?"

Chihiro nodded even as she shivered.

"She and her mom were on the early train from Kyoto but it stopped in Shizuoka 'cause of the…"

Here she trailed off as she watched Haku's face turn bleak.

Again he looked away as a muscle began to jump at the back of his jaw.

Her heart sank like a frozen stone deep into the pit of her stomach.

Desperate to cheer him up, she slid her hands to his face, urging him to look at her.

"It'll be great to see her, right?" She began in earnest, "Think of how much fun she'll have at the festival?"

He blinked.

"Festival?"

Chihiro continued in a rush, trying to win him over with her excitement.

"It's New Years Eve, Haku. The whole town's turning out. Natsumi said the bath house kami are going to perform at the shrine tonight like they did in summer. Jae, and Kenka, and Megumi have never seen the kami dance. They'll have a blast, I know they will. Maybe we can take them out for drinks at the Yamada's after? They make awesome okonomiyaki. Please, Haku? Please come with us?"

Even as she wheedled somewhere deep in her heart she was utterly ashamed.

Terrible things were happening and all she wanted was a night out in the village.

Chihiro knew was acting like a selfish child again.

She was trying to hang back when she knew couldn't stay.

Was one more night too much to ask for?

One more, she prayed silently to whoever or whatever was listening.

Not just for herself, but for everyone else.

Please? Please, just give us one more?

By way of an answer Haku pulled something out of his pocket. Curiously she craned her neck to see the tiny bit of brass and glass in his hand. As she looked at it all the hair stood up on the back of her neck; it was magic; a really strange magic too. Not in a bad way, just one she hadn't seen before. Chihiro frowned, looking between the compass and Haku. All kinds of somber and intent he studied the needle of the compass. But all it did was spin in lazy circles.

"Is it broken?"

"No. It is not broken."

Her brow tightened, "But its not working…"

She straightened as he took out the compass and put it in her hands. Fey prickle skittered up the tops of her arms at the contact. Instantly the needle whipped around to point right at Haku. He blinked rapidly only to blush as a shy smile pulled at his mouth. Suddenly he was happy, so very happy he lit up like a ray of sun piercing the gloomy clouds. Utterly confused, she stared between him and the compass before pointing toward the mountains.

"Isn't north is that way?"

"This compass does not point north, Chihiro. It shows the way to whatever or whomever you seek."

"Oh."

A very different type of heat warmed her cheeks as now she understood why he was so happy.

"Where'd you get it?"

"It was a gift from Onsen."

As Haku took the compass from her hands, stashing it back inside his coat pocket, she was frowning again.

"Why didn't it work when you were holding it?"

His face fell as he looked off into the distance.

"A spinning needle means the ones I seek are still outside this world."

It took her a second to understand.

She froze as she realized he was talking about Lin and Kiri.

"An hour or so can mean days, even weeks in this world," Haku continued at a distance, still caught up in whatever it was he was thinking about, "I did not realize until now how much that could be to our advantage. _Time_ is with us Chihiro."

She knew he didn't mean to, but he was being all kinds of mysterious.

_God_-ish, actually; and it reminded her a lot of the way he used to talk.

Unfortunately his cryptic explanation bounced right off her forehead.

All the same, Chihiro held her breath as flicker of hope returned his eyes.

Abruptly, however, he changed the subject.

"I did not know the Yamada shop offered okonomiyaki. Jae will be most pleased."

Chihiro blinked, staring past him as she noticed Nastumi.

The yuna was clinging to the door frame pale and stunned.

Her eerily enormous eyes were riveted on Haku.

"M-master Haku!"

As she spoke his name in awe he was on his feet. Chihiro lurched sideways in his absence only to jolt back against the wall as q violent wind tore along the veranda, dislodging eddying swirled of snow from the bamboo. All the while Natsumi continued to stare at him blank faced and silent. Haku began to shake beneath the unyielding intensity of her gaze. He sat down hard as his knees folded, spilling forward into a bow.

His trembling shoulders screamed in silent despair.

Cringing against the boards, wordlessly begging for forgiveness.

Stunned Chihiro's insides went cold as the wind went tearing through her hair. Already she was scrambling upright anticipating a repeat of what happened with the fox in the kitchen last night. But Natsumi ghosted past like a shadow only to fold up beside Haku gently plucking and pulled at his arms.

"Enough. _Enough_, Master Haku. You _saved_ us!"

She offered in a comforting hush, cajoling him quietly.

"Do you really think Miss Lin will give up so easily, Master Haku? Then why should you? You will bring her home. I know you will."

Still cringing as he lifted from the boards Haku's green eyes flew completely wide as Natsumi threw her tiny around his neck. Stunned, he went rigid as a board only to melt; crumpling against her as the yuna hugged him, rocking him like a child. As she did she smoothed her hands over his head again and again, clucking her touch in wry admonishment.

"Oh, why did you cut your lovely hair? Now you look like ahuman and it was so very handsome before!"

Hugging her shoulders Chihiro shivered with violent relief.

Only to startle as one by one the other kami appeared out of nowhere.

Usagi and Yoshi crept out onto the veranda hand in hand.

They looked between Haku and Natsumi before blinking at her blankly.

One after the other they bowed to her almost automatically.

At a loss for what else to do she bobbed an awkward bow in return.

Little Green Frog peered around the door frame only to be shoved out of the way.

Hiko and Ginka towed Aniyaku out onto the veranda.

"What's all this then?" The bullfrog croaked irritably.

Here Aniyaku went white, shying comically to the point of one toe as he saw her.

Sputtering loudly he pointed back and forth between her and Haku over and over.

Hiko and Ginka shoved by so they could clamber about behind Natsumi.

Sweet faced and awed as they gawked at Haku.

"He's back, he's back, he's back!" They sang in hushed unison.

Turning up his nose Aniyaku harrumphed and spun on his heels.

"Yes, yes! So I see! Now let's eat before breakfast gets cold."

Sitting back on her heels Natsumi threw a sour frown after the bullfrog.

But the other kami remained as Aniyaku pompously flounced back into the house.

They flooded around Haku, nearly knocking Chihiro over. Beaming gladly Yoshi pumped Haku's arm up and down in a vigorous handshake. Seizing his cheeks Usagi planted a wet kiss on Haku's forehead making him turn beet red. Hiko and Ginka all but knocked him over as Usagi drew back leaving him defenseless against more enthusiastic hugging. Poor little Green Frog scrambled back and forth behind the press of bodies trying to get a leg in. Stymied and forlorn, he went cross-eyed before blinking. Shrinking onto his heels shaking as he finally noticed her standing over him.

His brown eyes went perfectly round as he looked up at her.

Little Green Frog swallowed nervously.

Nervously she fidgeted under his scrutiny.

Humans were supposed to look at Gods like that; not the other way around.

"Welcome home, Lady Sen!"

He bobbed a bow still staring at her in wonder.

All at once he was looking back at Haku with genuine relief as he wiped a kerchief over his clammy head.

"We're so glad you're both home!"

All the fear cleared from Chihiro's heart at the tiny kami's declaration.

It gave her hope.

Because it seemed kami could forgive after all.

* * *

**HAKU**

_"I'm so excited!"_ Satako squealed.

He bent as she pulled on his arm insistently, nearly making him spill his tea.

She was much stronger than she looked.

His heart squeezed; skipping a beat inside his chest as she beamed at him.

She was so very like Chihiro it caused him physical pain.

_ "Whee!"_

As the human reached for her the Chouchin fled, turning red with embarrassment.

The lantern had been drifting lazily, making the warm room and rosy with light.

Haku marveled as Satako went.

Not with her crutches; not wheeling along in her chair.

However unsteadily, the little human walked on her own feet.

Okesa and Usagi paused in the middle of their music lesson. The cat's eyes flashed with barely restrained glee as she tracked the lantern's flight. Resplendent in her best kimono of birds and mice, the cat picked out a far livelier tune as the little human shrieked and chased the poor beleaguered Chouchin. Even though the rabbit looked fine in her vivid rose-colored kimono complete with a grass-pattered gold and silver obi, she still paled before the cat's beauty.

"Like this, neh baby-bunny?"

Furrowing her brow in concentration, Usagi followed the cat's tune with deft fingers. Tossing it back and forth, they narrated the human girl's chase with a weaving soundtrack. Haku was just about to speak up in the light's defense when Minako spoke.

"Satako? Satako, please leave that poor thing alone!"

The child's pale faced mother cried hoarsely.

Hastily she apologized to the lantern.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Lantern! Please excuse my daughter's rudeness!"

"D-d-don't worry, M-Minako-san. I d-d-don't think C-Chouchin minds."

The human flinched as Yoshi spoke. The lanky frog smiled at her sweetly. He and Little Green Frog were tightening the skins of two drums: one big, one small. The humming voices of the instruments called and answered like old friends. Haku fought a smile as Chouchin blew an angry raspberry at Yoshi before she darted from the room.

As Satako chased the room darkened ever so slightly.

Outside the sun had already begun to fade.

Winter days were short and already the veil of night approached.

Oblivious to the child's antics, Aniyaku paced about engrossed in practicing a formal greeting. Satako nearly careened into him as she returned. Minako uttered a terrified squeak, reaching as if she could redirect her daughter. Ever nimble on his feet, Aniyaku side stepped around the human girl as scooted by, not even noticing her.

_"Good evening, esteemed visitors!"_ He boomed gregariously.

Minako jumped, scrambling to catch her teetering tea cup.

The brittle woman still looked faint.

"Sounds good to me," Little Green Frog chimed in encouragingly.

"No, no!" the frog muttered peevishly, "It's still not right at all."

Hastily he tucked up against the table to revise it again with ink on parchment. Again Minako uttered a terrified squeak as Satako peered over his shoulder curiously. But the frog waved her away, muttering grand words under his breath. Panting from her exertions, Satako happily collapsed onto her tabi-enclosed feet beside her mother. Shivers of foil danced against the perfect bob of her ebony hair. But here Satako frowned sharply as the wig tilted. Her hands flew to her head as if afraid it might fly off.

"Mom!" She hushed in mortification, "It's coming off again!"

Minako made a disapproving moue, fussing with the wig.

"It's not coming off, dear, you just need to stop jumping and running around. You'll make your hair ornaments fall out."

Here the human woman paused, lighting up with an enraptured smile.

"Oh, you look so lovely. I wish I remember to bring my camera."

Thanks to the work of Natsumi, Hiko, and Ginka, the little human was dressed in dazzling greens, oranges, and reds. Her kimono was dazzling with silver snow capped pine and bamboo, wound round with a wide obi of plum blossoms heavily embroidered in gold. Healthy bright reds peeked at every hem, making her flushed cheeks all the rosier. Onsen had produced amazing treasures in response to the news of the festival. Coffers materialized all along the walls in the kami wing, spilling out silk kimono, obi, haori, and every manner of accessory. Yuna ran amuck through the rain of gold and silver riches, falling on Satako and nearly carrying her off in their glee.

Haku could not help but smile.

Politely he hid a smirk behind his hand lest Minako see it.

How had Satako reassured her mother?

What had she called it? Dress up?

Jae, Megumi, and Kenka would not cook. A festival feast awaited them and tonight they would eat out. New Years was one of the most festive occasions of the year. As such it required appropriate attire. He and the kami had the luxury of appearing in any state or shape they saw fit. However, after the yuna saw to Satako they dragged the other humans away to be dressed. Haku glanced toward the hall, tapping his fingers on the table top as he found himself impatiently waiting to see the results of their work.

He hoped they would not dress Chihiro in blue.

Blue reminded him far too much of the ocean.

And he did not wish to be reminded of that.

"S-so, Nigihayami-san?" Minako began hesitantly, obviously trying to make polite conversation, "Have you and Satako known each other long?"

Haku glanced toward her and bowed ever so slightly.

"We met this past summer when you first came to Kumomi, Minako-san."

"You two seem so close," She tried to smile.

He glanced at the girl and found her frowning in frustration as she tried unsuccessfully to peer up at her hair ornaments, succeeding in only tilting her head from side to side making the bits of foil quake and tremble. Unsuccessfully he fought the smile as again the sight warmed his heart.

"She reminds me a great deal of Chihiro as a child."

Minako blinked rapidly before laughing that off nervously.

"But sure you can't be that old, Nigihayami-san? You don't look more than 20!"

Haku glanced at her again from the corner of his eyes.

"Looks can be deceiving, Minako-san."

He flashed a winning smile as she quieted and went pale.

Before he realized it Haku was standing as footsteps sounded in the hall.

Again Minako squeaked as the wind of his exhilaration blew through the room.

"_Dude!_" Kenka laughed in delight, "I _seriously_ feel straight outta a Kabuki play!"

"I know, man!" Jae returned in equal excitement, "Who knew these pants thingies were so damn comfy! Gotta get me a pair."

Haku frowned sharply as only the males rounded the corner. Jae wore an charcoal-gray kimono beneath silver and black striped hakama whereas Kenka had donned a buttery-yellow kimono with black and gold striped hakama. Together they moved like night and day; midnight and noon. But they ruined the regality of their attire with clowning play, pantomiming slicing and cutting motions with their empty hands as they made ridiculous noises and grimacing faces. He brought them up short with his abrupt appearance.

"Where is Chihiro?"

Haku inquired impatiently, peering behind them only to be disappointed.

Jae recovered quickly, looking him up and down.

"Whoa! Lookin' spiffy, Kou!"

Kenka, however, was still gaping at him in a loss. Haku was not sure why. Looking down, he reviewed his ruse. The kimono was a vibrant sky blue; his hakama brocaded in gold and silver swirling clouds. It was more than adequate by his taste.

Here Kenka stammered lamely.

"Girl's always take longer to get ready..."

Haku looked over his shoulder as shamisen strings screeched.

Okesa melted to her feet leaving Usagi playing by herself. It took the rabbit a moment to realize was playing solo. Red faced with embarrassment the rabbit cut short before Yoshi encouraged her to keep going. As the rabbit continued to play Okesa minced across the tatami, glittering and tinkling with every step. Haku did not resist as she insinuated herself under his arm, looking Kenka and Jae up and down like they were something to eat. The human gawked at her dumbstruck surprise. Grinning broadly, she flowed forward and seized Kenka and Jae, towing them back toward the table. They followed her without a word.

"Y'two look like y'know how t'have fun? Wanna start t'part while we wait? Neh, Onsen? Bring me some sake!"

"I would not advise that," Haku counseled the ceiling.

But even as he turned the humans already help sake cups.

The wretched cat was even pouring a small saucer for Minako!

The woman was absolutely bleached of color as she accepted it.

The beguiling cat winked as she poured for herself.

"'Ere y'go, momma. Drink up! _Kampai!_"

As she knocked back Okesa summoned the kami with the lure of sake.

"C'mon, baby bunny! C'mon froggies! Can't drink water all t'time! _Kampai!_"

Haku cringed at the cheer as the Gods answered her call.

"Can I have some too?" Satako chimed in hopefully.

"You may not!" Haku commanded resolutely.

As the girl pouted he rounded on the cat.

She was perched on her knees, a perfect picture of grace as she poured for Aniyaku.

"No beguiling, Okesa!"

"Wot? S'just a New Year's toast."

She refused to meet his gaze as she poured for Jae and Kenka. As Haku opened his mouth to argue she glanced up. Her poignant red gaze flashed like a chilling draft from under the shivering play of gold and silver bird wings against her velvet black hair. Her suffering expression was a cloud passing over the sun, a stab of cold in his heart. It revealed all the grief she so desperately fought to hide in the merriment she so effortlessly inspired.

The world narrowed to just them.

When she spoke next he knew her words were only for him.

Her voice rasped ever so slightly, reminding him painfully of the moment he had almost lost her to poison.

"Lighten up, kitten. Life's too short."

He stared at her in wordless shock she offered him a black lacquered saucer.

It was so very small in her beautiful hands.

The inside was a wet flash of red in the flickering candle light.

Such a small thing, but she offered it to him as if it mean everything to her.

What could he do but accept?

Some of it spilled on his fingers as he accepted the cup.

The cat's shout cracked like thunder in his ears.

_"Kampai!"_

He knocked back the cup.

The metallic burn of the sake flowed down his throat.

It lit a fire in his stomach even as he struggled not to cough.

It was then that he heard the foot steps shuffling behind him.

Jae swore explosively as he sat up on his knees point.

"Holy _shit_, Meg! _You're a girl!"_

Whirling on another wind Haku came face to face with Megumi.

"Watch your language, Jae. There're children present!"

"Where!" He shot back hotly.

Kenka pointed as Satako as she leaned over the table and waved with a beaming smile.

"Oh," Jae bobbed his head in apology at Minako, "Sorry, momma."

She waved dismissively, hastily downing another saucer full of sake.

Megumi scowled as the males continued to stare, obviously uncomfortable in her brilliant teal furisode. It bloomed at the bottom edge in a spray of purple and lavender irises that echoed the swirling silver stream patterned obi. She had freed the fall of her dark hair from its tight bun leaving it long and sleek.

"You look beautiful, Megumi-san."

As Haku bowed she went red in the face and flustered.

"Hah! Look at her blush," Jae cackled, "You're such a girl!"

Megumi stomped her foot, making Haku jump.

_ "Shut up, Jae!"_

Haku took a preemptive step back as Michio rudely shoved past Megumi. Not surprisingly Michio had found a midnight black kimono. A sallow moon rose on the wide panel of her cream colored obi, illuminating the dim shadows of the weeping willow branches pouring down the trailing sleeves like water. Viridian green burst forth in shocks of color from the hem and cuffs. It matched the equally shocking fringe of her chemical dyed hair.

"Alright," she crowed, rubbing her hands together, "I'm sick of haunted houses! Who wants to find that bar?"

Haku forgot Michio entirely as something moved behind her.

Chihiro hung back from the other females.

Chouchin drifted over her head.

Again the world narrowed to naught but her.

Bathed from above, Chihiro's silk garment caught fire in the obake's light. Crimson, scarlet, and orange flashed and flickered as they lifted from her swinging sleeve. Haku almost panicked as her kimono seemed to burst into flames. But it was only the trickery of the carefully placed licking tongues of silver and gold that danced across the fabric in curling patterns of spirals. The only thing that seemed to restrain them was the shimmering copper-gold obi. Geometric interlocking patterns braided across the tight plane of stiff fabric as it wound round her waist. Nubbly white crested at its top, peeking again at the collar like thin lines of smoke.

Shyly Chihiro glanced up at him from beneath the silver fringe of her hair as it stirred in his wind.

Stupidly he stared back with utterly impolite directness.

He could not help himself. Was it his mind playing tricks? Haku swore he felt the heat of her presence as she approached. He was afraid to touch her lest he be burned. But already he burned for her. Such feelings stoked deep in his heart. They were more than enough to set him on fire.

Haku startled as the throaty buzz of Natsumi's biwa broke the silence.

Suddenly the yuna faded into being against the veranda sliders.

Wearing her sweetly smiling mask aged with carved lines, the yuna struck the strings again.

All the Gods looked up at the call of her music.

As Natsumi paced with measured steps around the perimeter of the room two more shadows pulled free of her steps. Wearing equally enigmatic masked smiles, Hiko and Ginka bloomed like pink and yellow flowers, twining round each other as their symbols sprouted eerie chimes. Yoshi and Little Green Frog answered with the rhythm of drums, disappearing beneath the comical grimaces of their wooden masks. Ducking under the wall-eyed stare of her rabbit mask Usagi added the crisp twang of the shamisen as even Aniyaku drew on his clown's face, dancing and capering as he clapped his hands in percussive bursts.

And the humans could do nothing but look in awe as the Gods circled the room.

Shadows danced across the walls in response to the measured masked march.

Magic crackled and sang through Haku's blood as he watched the ghostly parade.

Song vibrated in his bones as his wind quickened.

He longed to join them, but doubt held him back.

Was he God enough to dance among them? Did he dare?

If he did, after all that had happened, would they welcome him?

Despair weight on him as he could summon no answer!

Then Okesa danced him round in a tight circle.

Her red eyes were filled with glee as they flashed behind her cat's mask.

As she passed he realized there were fans in his hands.

Red and gold; silver and red; bells rang sweetly as he flicked them open.

Such relief surged in his chest at the sound.

Adding the music of his motions to the chorus Haku drew on his dragon's mask.

And the wind of his joy nearly lifted him from his feet.

He danced; danced with the Gods; danced with his family.

Down the hall they paraded; through the back door.

Overhead Chouchin lit the way, dancing and wheeling as she glowed a rosy red.

Across the threshold of magic; stepping between worlds if only for a moment.

Out they danced; one voice and yet at the same time so many.

Out into the snowy dusk of the gardens behind Kumomi-jinja.

* * *

**Notes:**

(1) Bozu is referring to the Battle of Ueno (July 4, 1868) one of the pivotal clashes of the Boshin War fought in what would eventually become Ueno Park. The Boshin War was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court. The Boshin War was ignited by the Meiji Restoration, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868. –Wikipedia

(2) Tōeizan Kan'ei-ji Endon'in is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1625 by Tenkai. The main object of worship is Yakushirurikō Nyorai. Because it was one of the two Tokugawa bodaiji (funeral templeand because it was destroyed in the closing days of the war that put an end to the Tokugawa shogunate, its name is inextricably linked to the Tokugawa shoguns. –Wikipedia

(3) Bozu is a Hitotsume-kozō (Hiregana - ひとつめこぞう; kanji -一つ目小僧), which roughly translates to one-eyed youngster. Read more about this types of yokai at the Obakemono Project.

(4) Over time some kami converted to Buddhism, hence the Temple Kami. There is precedence for this in Japanese folk literature, where oni are often shown as guardians at Buddhist temples. Most kami remained Shinto purists, hence the Shrine Kami. Shrine Kami saw the Temple Kami as impure and blamed them for the pollutions causing evil in the caverns. Temple Kami saw the Shrine Kami as impure because of their arrogance and many vices. As a result they went to war with one another. The Cavern Wars are what caused the great Kanto Quake of 1923**. **When the Gods broke the Wheel of Yamanote they caused the collapse of several caverns.

There is a parallel here to Japanese history. The Shogun (Shinto) clashes with the Buddhists just as later the Imperial Court (Shinto) clashes with the Shogun (Buddhists). "Oda Nobunaga waged war even against Buddhists when they armed themselves and did not obey him. The Enryaku-ji monastery on Mt. Hiei, with its sōhei (warrior monks) of the Tendai school who aided the anti-Nobunaga group by helping Azai-Asakura alliance, was a particular thorn in Nobunaga's side, residing as it did so close to his residence in Kyoto. Nobunaga attacked Enryaku-ji and burnt it to the ground in 1571, even though it had been admired as a significant cultural symbol at the time, and killed between 3,000 and 4,000 men, women and children in the process. Enryaku-ji's current structures date from the late 16th century through the first half of the 17th century, when the temple was reconstructed following a change of government." – Wikipedia.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHIHIRO**

"Pinch me!" Chihiro breathed.

As her breath blew from her lips in a cold crisp cloud Michio complied.

She pinched her hard right through the thick silk of her sleeve.

_"Ow!"_ She flinched only to smile shakily, "T-thanks."

Michio was frowning at her like she was an idiot.

"Should I be worried?"

Chihiro flashed another wan smile, looking overhead at the flickering lights.

Beyond them she could see the fat yellow moon hanging in the frozen sky.

Closing her eyes she could still smell the bitter tang of butane fires.

Charred chicken on skewers; yakisoba; takoyaki.

She could almost delicious taste the delicious fried matsuri foods.

Even more distant was taste the heavy weight of the salt air.

If she listened hard enough she could hear the ocean.

Holding her breath she shivered as a frigid breeze blew through her.

In a gust she let it loose, whispering as she did.

"Sometimes I worry this isn't real. Sometimes I'm scared I'm still dreaming."

"Pinch me too," Jae muttered hoarsely.

"Pinch yourself, asshole!" Michio bit back.

Jae ignored her, sounding utterly perplexed.

"How t'fuck is that even possible?"

"Seriously," Kenka breathed in agreement.

"If I didn't know you I'd having a hard time believing all this too."

Megumi sounded just as amazed.

"Trust me," Chihiro hushed in excitement, ""It only gets better."

Opening her eyes, she looked back over the courtyard as music swelled.

Standing on the steps leading to the shrine gardens Chihiro could see everything.

People were streaming through the front gates, waiting in line to pray at the haiden (1) where Keiichi was presiding. All the sliders and curtains had been drawn back in the building. She could see inside without any trouble. The young priest was chanting while waving a paper-festooned wand over the kneeling crowd. Staffing the omikuji station, wearing a white kimono and red hakema, was Naniko. Further inside the shrine grounds was one of the secondary buildings where the stage had been erected. In the courtyard beneath the bare canopy of the trees and strings of buzzing lights was a wall of bodies.

Everyone from town was here; Goro and Ikeda from the police station; Dr. Yanagi from the hospital. Her heart squeezed as she caught sight of Satako and Kai. In spite of the freezing temperatures they were eating frozen chocolate covered bananas as Minako paid the vendor with a pink cheeked smile. Their ecstatic faces floated in and out of view in a sea of faces Chihiro didn't recognize. She blinked, catching sight of strange kami walking among the humans wearing their shadows like cloaks. Some of their masks looked familiar. But she wasn't surprised to see them. Instead she looked for Amano but couldn't find him. All kinds of conflicting emotions churned inside her chest as she continued to look. Because she didn't like that he was missing. Even though she understood why he might not want to come, she didn't like that he wasn't there.

His absence was too much of a reminder that others were missing.

Last time she stood here Hidé and Mrs. Nikkou was still alive. Last time she stood here Lin was with her. Suzume's flute was painfully absent from the God music. Even though she knew they weren't gone she still felt their absence keenly. So much had changed sine she'd found her way home. How much would it change when she left? Turning aside the dark thoughts, she followed the thousands of eyes to the fellows swimming through the pooling flood lights.

Yoshi and Little Green Frog were doing their comic routine.

Hiko and Ginka narrated on the big and little drums.

The pair tumbled back and forth like gravity didn't apply to them.

They were arguing over an invisible sake bottle.

One would drop it only to have the other tumble to catch it.

Little Green ended up on Yoshi's shoulders only to somersault.

Just as quickly they righted in reverse.

Yoshi ended up standing on Little Green's shoulders.

Little Green's knees trembled violently before they gave out.

The crowd roared with laughter as Yoshi landed hard.

Up catapulted Little Green, flying into the air as Yoshi hit the supple boards.

The crowds gasped as Yoshi scrambled.

Running back and forth the lanky frog positioned himself to catch his friend.

Only to trip and fall flat on his face.

Little Green landed right in the middle of his back.

As he did Yoshi emitted an enormous _Ribbet!_

Chihiro shrieked with glee as laughter erupted from the crowd.

In a panic Little Green rolled his friend onto his back.

Fanning him hurriedly Little Green dumped the sake into his mouth.

Revived and victorious, Yoshi sprang to his feet triumphantly.

Realizing what he'd done, Little Green tried to drink from the bottle.

But it was empty; better yet, it wasn't even there.

It didn't matter; they frog convinced her otherwise.

Yoshi patted his friend on the head as Little Green mopped in defeat.

Then Yoshi produced another imaginary sake bottle.

Pouring two glasses the frogs toasted as friends.

Suddenly they were conspiring chummily, pointing at the humans.

Abruptly turning to the crowd they tossed the contents at the front row.

The people there shrieked and cringed with laughter.

They laughed even harder realizing they'd been tricked and there was no sake.

The frog laughed out loud, pointing and slapping their knees.

Almost solemnly they straightened and bowed.

Then they were gone, disappearing into a twist of shadows.

Applause erupted from the crowd.

It vibrated deep in Chihiro's chest.

Glancing back she found Michio and Megumi clapping vigorously.

_"Wooo!"_ Kenka called through his cupped hands.

_"Awesome!"_ Jae hooted, _"_Frogs Brothers are_ awesome!"_

Here the crowd fell silent as Natsumi and Usagi began a plucky measured tune. A titter of surprise went through the humans a Aniyaku danced in jaunty measured steps out into the light from behind a beam that was far to thin to hide his round bulk. Holding his fan out in front of him Aniyaku bowed and bowed. Then he boomed.

_ "Thank you, esteemed guests!" _

The bullfrog's genial voice thundered thru the courtyard without need of speakers.

"Thank you so much for your appreciation!"

His eyes danced behind the oculars as his clown mask grinned.

"What next, esteemed guests? How shall we entertain you?"

"Okesa!" Someone in the crowd called loudly, "We want Okesa!"

Here Aniyaku wilted.

"That old thing? Bah! Surely you'd rather I entertain you?"

Suddenly he straightened, spinning his fan on the tip of his finger.

Yoshi and Little Green frog were suddenly back at their drums.

The provided the dramatic sound as Aniyaku tossed the fan high over his head.

Hiko and Ginka clashed their symbols he caught it on his other fingertip.

Spinning like a top it winked gold and silver.

Still spinning, Aniyaku bowed as the crowd cheered.

Then the fan wasn't there.

Chihiro jumped as it disappeared in a flash.

Aniyaki blinked and blinked as he opened and closed his hand comically.

Looking on the ground he looked every which way.

He even lifted his feet, put his hands on his hips at a loss.

Then Usagi struck up the shamisen as Natsumi's biwa buzzed low and sultry.

Such a wild scream went up from the crowd as Cinna traipsed across the stage.

Gods she was gorgeous; all kinds of mysterious behind her black cat mask.

Spinning a red umbrella on her shoulder, the cat exuded sex and charisma.

The crowd hooted and whistled as she glanced out at them with a wave.

Aniyaku scrambled out of her way as she paused just past him.

Here the cat opened flicked open a fan only to reveal it was Aniyaku's.

_Ba-boom_ went the drums as the shamisen and biwa laughed.

With a startled cry he pointed at it, capering from foot to foot.

Trotting by, he plucked it from her fingers.

Holding it up in triumph, he wiped the sweat from his brow.

_Ba-boom_ went the drums!

As he went to fan himself with it he realized it was gone from his hand.

Looking back at Cinna the cat was fanning herself again.

As she laughed soundlessly the shamisen twanged and chortled.

Running in place as if to gather steam Aniyaku darted by snatching it up again.

He skidded to a halt on the opposite side of the stage as his hands turned up empty.

_Ba-boom_ when the drums! Again the shamisen tittered in glee.

Pushing up his long sleeves and tilting his cap, Aniyaku ran in place vigorously.

His feet blurred as he made it known he meant business.

Chihiro cheered him on as he took off at a sprint.

Dipping her umbrella down, Cinna hid them from view just at the point of impact.

But as it whirled back up Aniyaku was gone.

The crowd gasped as the bullfrog disappeared.

Chihiro gasped as well, finding her hands at her mouth.

Folding her umbrella, Cinna sat it down.

Glanced from side to side, she shaded her view, obviously looking for the frog.

Suddenly her umbrella jolted.

Cinna looked down at it with sharp interest before gazing out over the crowd.

In a graceful pantomime he pointed at the umbrella as again it jolted and rustled.

Picking it up, she opened it and shook it vigorously.

Aniyaku landed hard on the ground.

_Ba-boom_ went the drums!

Miming a startle, Cinna whirled aside dropping the umbrella.

This Aniyaku caught as he flicked open the fan, exultantly wafting himself. Leaping up, the frog ran from the stage with umbrella and fan. And the crowd screamed with laugher along side the shamisen and biwa. Chihiro whooped and yelled as well. Forgetting herself in the noise, forgetting everything she turned herself over the pure fun. Here Cinna tossed her head and turned up her nose. Silence fell as she turned her back to the crowd. Cymbals _tinged_ and _tanged,_ mysteriously calling back and forth across the stage as Hiko and Ginka moved in the dark periphery.

_Tat-ta tat-a tat-a,_ called the high tenor of Little Green's drum.

_ Ba-boom, _answered the bass return of Yoshi's drum.

Anticipation built as slowly Cinna glanced over one of her shoulders. He hair ornaments flashed beneath the lights as just as slowly she glanced over her other shoulder. Whirling on he balls of her feet so quickly she blurred Cinna faced the audience and with another toss of her head she stomped the ground hard.

A thrill surged up Chihiro's spine as the stage echoed like a drum.

In the same moment the cat threw out her hands.

Chihiro jumped as bells shattered in the silence.

Red, gold; silver, red; her fans flashed.

Ringing and ringing, they sang as she stomped again.

Then she threw on high in the air.

It winked like a shooting star as it arched through the air only to fall.

Silver and gold flashed as its flight abruptly redirected up from the ground.

Chihiro's heart surged into her throat a wind gusted off the stage.

Even though there was snow on the ground it was soaked with the scent of rain.

And then he was there, resolving out of the shadows as if he'd always been there.

His dragon mask reflected like mother-of-pearl in the lights.

His silver-gold hakama billowing as if the swirling cloud patterns had come to life.

_ "Jesus fucking Christ!"_ Jae swore explosively, "Is that Kou!"

Suddenly the Biwa began, low and lilting, swift and smooth.

Chihiro sucked in a breath as suddenly he was spinning on the very tips of his toes only to sink deep into a suddenly curve. Her heart lurched inside her chest as he flowed backwards, never ceasing to move, sweeping back up to his feet as he waved and swooped the fan Cinna loaned him. Rocking forward onto her toes, compelled to move just by watching him, Chihiro craned her neck to see over Kenka's shoulder as Haku melted through every movement as made of wind, not flesh or bone. Nothing human could move like that. Wind rippled around him, billowing the curtains and making the trees creak and sway as suddenly Haku lapsed to stillness.

Chihiro realized she was holding her breath, because

She let it out in a gust left feeling lightheaded and giddy.

Gods, he was so, so very… _beautiful!_

He was so beautiful this couldn't be real!

Suddenly the shamisen answered; crisp and lively, sharp and playful.

Cinna produced another fan and the pair became wings in her hands as she transformed into a bird through her movements, gliding across the floor light as a feather. It took Chihiro a second to realize the cat was teasing Haku! She was mimicking him to poke fun at his dancing! But now she sank low on her feet as if anchoring herself into the ground. And she owned the crowd as she flirted around the gold and silver edges of her fans, sashaying her hips, dropping her creamy shoulders and tossing her head side to side again and again so that her hair ornament sparkled in the light.

Again she stomped her foot as the shamisen silenced.

Tossing her head one more time, Cinna blew a kiss at Haku.

He staggered away feigning as if it had hit him in the face.

At once he was fanning himself vigorously.

In that same moment the biwa returned.

Haku caught himself on the edge of the cascading pouring torrent of strumming strings, whirling as if he couldn't stand to keep his feet on the ground. All of a sudden the biwa shifted up an octave, mimicking the plucky sound of a shamisen. Here Haku dropped like a stone only to stomp just as Cinna had. Then he sank into the sauciest, sexiest repetition of her dance. Seductively tossing his shoulders and hips, he glance with smoldering eyes from across the sharp edge of his fan, tossing his head from side to side in a perfect mimic of Cinna's flirtatious moves. Chihiro was howling by this time. He could've been a woman for all she knew and that completely blew Chihiro's mind.

The biwa silenced but Haku wasn't done yet.

He tossed his hip at the cat.

The move hit her physically all the way across the stage.

She stumbled like he'd bumped into her.

Glaring at him she came up short at Haku's final sensuous shimmy.

The crowd screamed as he flashed the barest glance of his bare shoulder.

_ "What! What!"_ Kenka shrieked in glee.

"_Ha!_ He totally got her!" Jae crowed, "One point for Kou, man!"

"Oh, my, God!" Michio covered her eyes, "This is so _gay_!"

"Shut up, Michio!" Megumi glared at her nastily.

Stunned, Cinna gaped at him incredulously.

Finally recovering, she turned up her nose dusted off her sleeves.

As she turned her back on Haku she produced a fourth fan.

This she tossed backwards over her shoulder.

It sailed right into his hands like some kinda crazy reverse footage trick.

Holding it up triumphantly Haku bowed with liquid grace as the crowd applauded and cheered. Ignoring him now, Cinna minced her way up to the edge of the stage. She put a fan to her ear she appealed to them for encouragement. At their screams of enthusiasm she feigned a swoon. But all at once the cat wheeled into a sinuous spin, completely bending over backwards so that her head nearly brushed the ground yet her feet remained on the ground. Wearing an ecstatic expression she righted, Cinna threw out her hands in an unmistakable challenge.

Haku answered, mirroring her motions.

As they faced off against each other, their demeanor completely changed.

The air charged with their focus.

Grace transformed them into something supernatural as they dance.

Circling and circling, abruptly they switched directions.

Here the shamisen and the biwa answered in unison.

Only to break apart into a call and answer duet.

Haku and Cinna began their own call and repeat. One would dance, the other would mimic. Faster and faster, with every step perfectly matched and repeated. Until all at once they were dancing a duet. As Cinna's fan flashed so did Haku's. Up they flew, curving out before fluttering back and forth. As Cinna bent over backwards in another sweeping arch Haku followed, bowing backwards beside her bonelessly limber. As he turned so did she; so swift the tips of their toes barely touched the ground. Her hair ornaments flashed like lightening above the billowing clouds at Haku's feet. Whirling and whirling, backs pressed together, they wafted their fans high and low.

Red. Gold. Silver. Red.

Like a spinning top they blurred, jumping high.

The stage trembled with a resounding _boom_ as they stomped in unison!

Bells rang clamorously in the silence.

The lights overhead flickered as Chihiro jerked in surprise.

Then they were gone. Gone. Just gone!

The roar that lifted off the crowd that echoed in Chihiro's chest.

All the while the crowd whooped and cheered.

Chihiro jumped again as Michio yanked and hauled on her arm.

"Where did they go! Where _t'hell_ did they go!"

Megumi grabbed her other arm, bearing down on her with a freakily intense glare.

"Tell me they practiced this like a _billon_ times!"

"N-no," she stammered, "I d-don't think they've ever done this before."

_"Dude!"_ Kenka hushed in astonishment.

"Magic, man!" Jae laughed explosively, "These guys are fuckin' _made_ of it!"

Aniyaku was back at the front of the stage again.

_ "Thank you, esteemed guests!"_

Here the spell broke as her friends started to bicker.

"I'm _freezing_ my ass off!" Michio complained, "Can we go somewhere else? I really, really just want to be boring and go do normal things for one night."

"And miss all _this_!" Kenka was looking at her like she was stupid.

"Let's go get something t'drink. That'll warm y'right up."

Jae jabbed his thumb toward the vending stalls.

"Fine… Just so long as it's a beer."

"_Ha!_ Looks like you an' me 're gonna get along after all, sweetheart!"

For some reason Michio didn't punch him as he draped his arm over her shoulder. With a long suffering sigh Megumi seized Kenka's arm and followed behind them. As they started off down the stairs Chihiro was about to follow. Then she caught a flash of blue light on the dark hills behind the shrine complex. Turning her back to the humming electric lights she squinted into the frozen dark outside the reach of the festival lights and shivering convulsively.

Slowly her eyes adjusted.

Then a familiar lantern bobbed out from behind the inky trunk of a pine.

The eerie pale blue of its light threw fantastic shadows up the sloping path.

But the transparent figure that held the lead cast no shadow.

She had no feet, fading away into nothing in the piles snow.

God light glinted off the pale sparrow mask as the apparition looked back.

Chihiro rang like a bell as she recognized the ghost.

Stunned and still ringing with shock, she took a shuddering breath.

It blew up in front of her face in a plume of white.

"You coming, Chihiro?"

She jumped again as Megumi called after her. Looking back she found the woman using Kenka's arm like a blanket. The kimono were made of heavy silk but not _that_ heavy. She was shivering visibly. Glancing over her head, Kenka's face went slack with fear as he stared at the slope.

"T-tell me I'm not the only one who see's _that_!"

As he pointed a trembling finger Megumi gasped.

She jittered into Kenka gritting her teeth.

"It's okay. She's a friend."

Chihiro lifted her hands reassuringly.

Kenka glanced at her before his eyes shot back to the hill.

"If you say so."

"Go have fun. I made reservations for one of the party rooms at the Yamada's. They'll give it away if you don't get there soon," Chihiro waved them along, "It's fine. Really. I'll catch up with you later."

Nervously he began backing away pulling Megumi with him.

"You sure?"

She flashed them a smile she desperately hoped looked real enough.

Megumi shrank from the ghost on the hill, choking on her words.

The poor thing looked like her knees were about to give out.

"H-how can you be so _calm _about all_ this_!"

Chihiro glanced at her, trying to remember what it was like to be new to _this_.

It wasn't that long ago. Still, it felt like ages and ages had passed.

"It gets easier with time."

Megumi didn't look like she believed her.

They fled down the stairs, heading into the crowd.

Turning her back on the living Chihiro made for the trees and chased the dead.

* * *

**HAKU**

Haku craned his neck, standing on his toes.

He scanned the crowds thronging the streets of Kumomi, searching for Chihiro.

The tiny town was drowning in strangers.

He hardly recognized anyone!

What was worse, he and Okesa had been forced to discard their finery. dressed now in their mundane garments they were all but invisible. Done with dancing, they left the bath house kami to their performance. They had not been in the crowd but a moment before the enthusiastic humans descended upon them with praise. Although Okesa gleamed radiantly in their attention Haku abhorred the press of hands and bodies that clambered around him anxious to shake his hand or ask his name. He had been forced to disappear again, much to the delight of the humans. Reluctantly Okesa followed. Sullenly the cat skulked behind him in tight torn jeans and a cowl necked sweater so baggy it nearly swallowed her whole. Black on black, the hue of her clothing matched her sour mood.

Again she sighed gustily.

"Aye wuz so pretty, Kitten! Why'dja make me change?"

"You are always beautiful, Okesa."

Without hesitation he murmured the truth of his thoughts, distracted while still searching for their humans. Haku was just about to reach into his pocket for the compass when she all but tackled him from behind. throwing up his arms in surprise he turned to frown at her quizzically. But she remained anchored around his middle with her face buried in his canvas jacket.

"Y'mean it? Even now?"

As her voice rasped she spared a hand to pull the cowl neck high under her chin.

She had taken to wearing it and he knew why.

The scars from the spider bites cover most of her neck.

He bore similar marks himself.

Extricating himself from her grip he turned to kneel at her bare feet, tipping up her chin as she flattened her velvet black ears and refused to look at him. Smoothing a hand over her hair he earned a worried glance that he returned with a gentle smile.

"Even now, Okesa. Even more so with every day."

Haku laughed outright as she launched into his arms, nearly knocking him over with her enthusiasm much like she had earlier. As he scooped her up, slinging her onto his shoulder, he carried her like a bag of rice as the cat's good humor returned full force.

"Aye's starving'! Neh, neh! Aye wan' some takoyaki, 'n' some taiyaki, 'n' some toriyaki, 'n' some..."

She trailed off, ears swiveling wildly as someone called his name distantly.

"Kou!"

Haku spun in a circle as Okesa yanked him around with a flick of her fan.

The bells rang in his ears as she directed his attention skyward.

Down the street he caught sight of the town's only restaurant.

Hanging over the rail of the second story balcony waving vigorously was Jae.

Kenka was struggling to keep him from pitching over.

"_Ha!_ S'that t'Yamada's place?" Okesa laughed in anticipation, "They's my kinda humans, neh?"

Haku snorted in amusement. Yes; Jae and Kenka were very much her kind of human. Here he frowned. There was a crowd outside of the Yamada's, spilling out of the interior in a boisterous press of bodies. He did not think he could stomach pushing his way through the close interior. He shook out his umbrella, pulling it from nowhere. Already the cat was scrambling in his grip.

_"Nae, nae, nae!"_ She hissed in dismay, "Aye cun walk!"

Although he was forced to drop her the cat landed on her feet, sprinting away before glaring back at him with all her hair standing on end. He laughed openly as she skulked into the crowd heading for the restaurant. Floating on light-hearted steps Haku slipped into the adjacent alley and let himself fade into the shadows of his tatter cloak lest anyone see him. Shaking it out, he lifted the umbrella over his head. Haku propelled it upward with a single breath.

Up he sailed, weightless as a flake of snow!

His heart thrilled into his throat as he shot over the roof. Elated by the speed and the wind, his blood sang with happiness as he lifted into the muted silence of the indigo sky. The veiling mists of the frozen clouds parted around him to reveal the sea of stars. A fat yellow moon waxed close enough for him to touch. For a moment he drifted high, catching sight of the whole town. Rivers of light poured between the buildings, illuminating the hillsides and spilling into the harbor. Laughter and distant music ebbed in muted tides beneath his feet. The sight of the world so small and far beneath his feet brought his insides to stillness.

Slowly he began to sink. Shivering violently as the frigid breeze cut through his thin skin, Haku gently directed his lazy flight path with puffs of air blown between his pursed lips. He drifted down beside the Yamada's to the right of the balcony over which the humans dangled. Inside was a simple small tatami matted room with a low table complete with an inset electric grill ringed by a tall fence of brown Asahi bottles. An enormous savory pancake was sizzling on the plate. Haku's stomach gave a violent growl as the delicious smell floated out at him. Under the buzzing electric lights inside his friend lounged and relaxed on thick cushions. Through the thin walls Haku could hear the laughter and off-tune singing from the adjacent room. A similar disturbance filtered up from the teeming first floor.

The whole building seemed to shake with glee.

Though his feet touched down on the balcony rail his heart remained buoyant.

Dropping his ruse, Haku materialized just beside Kenka and Jae.

The males recoiled with a gasp, spilling back into the private tatami room.

Megumi released a girlish squeal completely at odds with her character.

Michio choked on a mouthful of whatever beverage she was consuming.

Hurriedly patting her on the back Kenka went milk pale.

Haku was both pleased with their reaction but surprised by his odd mood.

He never flaunted himself.

Teasing the humans was actually quite entertaining.

_"Jesus fucking Christ, man!"_ Jae all but shrieked as he clutched his chest panting with fright, "Use t'fuckin' door! You're not Mary _fuckin'_ Poppins!"

Stepping down from the rail he folded the umbrella and closed the window.

"I do not know this Mary you speak of."

"_Goddamnit!_ New rule!" Michio choked as she pushed Kenka's hands away, "No _funny_ stuff when we're out, got it stalker-boy?"

Still feeling weightless and therefore untouchable by the human's rude words Haku alighted on one of the cushions at the low table.

"I shall refrain from anything too humorous, Michio-San."

She sputtered as his subtle repartee robbed her of words.

Megumi took a drink, looking sideways as her eyes betrayed a smile.

Kenka and Jae, however, laughed explosively.

The males were already red faced with drink.

"Dude! Was that sarcasm?"

"No way, man. Kou doesn't have a sense of humor, remember?"

Bowing with utmost formality, Haku had to bite his lip to keep from grinning.

"It is as you say. I am a humorless being."

Grinning like idiots, the males returned his bow only to break against each other snickering and chortling. Megumi sighed gustily as Michio pounded her fist on the table, making the empty bottled jitter and clink.

"Knock it off, you assholes!"

"You commanded no funny stuff, sweetheart. Thought y'wanted us t'be serious ?"

Haku did not miss the angry frown that pulled at Megumi's lips as Jae draped his arm around Michio's shoulder smirking rakishly. Pink with fury the green haired human shrugged out from under his arm and shoved him away, busying herself with flipping the pancakes. Jae spilled some of his drink as he knocked sideways into Kenka laughing giddily. Haku frowned as he found someone missing.

"Where is Chihiro?"

Kenka replied in distraction as he poured a glass of beer. Haku frowned as he found the human's hands were shaking as he offered the drink.

"She had something to do at the shrine. She said she'd see us soon."

Here, however, the male went terribly serious.

"Seriously, dude, how the _hell_ d'you do that?"

Haku accepted the glass, sipping it politely.

The fizzy beverage was bitter and cold.

All too quickly it sent a flash of heat from the pit of his stomach to his cheeks.

"I am unsure of what you mean," Haku returned evasively.

Kenka threw his hands at the window as awe paled his face.

"I thought you said you couldn't fly?"

"He's made of magic, man! S'explanation enough for me."

Jae slouched backwards onto the mat as he knocked back his glass.

"Jae, I cannot fly..." Haku insisted lamely as he flustered nervously.

"Then what do you call that?" Megumi was pointing at the window.

It was the first she had spoken since he had arrived. As Kenka and Megumi looked at him expectantly Haku gritted his teeth and searched for how to explain. As earlier in the kitchen words eluded him. As he faced burned Haku finished his drink and fumbled inside his coat. Removing the umbrella he held it out to her mutely. She stared at it askance as if not sure what to make of it.

"That's it?" Michio laughed derisively, "A moldy old _umbrella_ can't be magic!"

She glared back as Haku stared at her coldly look across the table.

For some reason he had no trouble finding words for this one.

"As with all things, Michio-San, appearances can be deceiving."

Her brow tightened as she grappled unhappily with that truth.

"Open it," Kenka encouraged Megumi hushed with anticipation.

Still uncertain, the female opened the umbrella over her head. Again she uttered a mousy squeak of surprise as she floated off the floor. Gasps flew from the humans as they jolted back from the table. Megumi, however, drifted right up to the ceiling like a bit of dandelion fluff.

_"DUDE!"_ Kenka exclaimed in delight.

_"Holy fuckin' shit!"_

Jae scuttled backwards across the floor.

_"Get me down!"_ Megumi shrilled in an absolute panic, _"I want down now!"_

Even though her feet were only a few feet from the ground she clung to the umbrella handle as if her life depended on it. At once on his feet Haku gently towed her back to the ground, steadying her as he carefully eased her shaking fingers free of the grip. As she stared at him dumbfounded Jae forsook his drink and snatched the umbrella out of Haku's hand.

"My turn!"

"No way, dude! I'm next!"

As Kenka grappled with Jae both males floated off the floor with gleeful squeals as they opened the umbrella, clinging together to the haft. Haku pulled Megumi out of the way as they drifted across the room in a lazy spin, tucking up their knees to keep their feet from dragging on the floor. Haku beamed as he watched them play. It was so good to see them embrace magic rather than cringe in fear. Their joy at the simple pleasure of weightlessness was infectious. He had to bite his knuckle to keep from laughing out loud.

_"This is so fuckin' cool!"_ Jae chortled exuberantly.

"Michio!" Kenka propelled them back into the air as they drifted back toward the ground, "Michio, you've got to try this!"

The female, however, would have none of their play.

She was plastered against the far wall shaking from head to toe.

Haku's heart sank as at first he mistook her disquiet for fear.

But then he realized it was barely restrained fury.

Baffled, Haku could only stare.

_"Fuck you!"_ Michio hissed between her teeth, "Fuck that _stupid _umbrella, too!"

Ripping the sliding door open the female human nearly knocked Okesa over as she stormed off. The cat scrambled to rebalance the massive tray she carried, defying both gravity and grace as she righted the sake bottles and cups, scooping them up midair. Glaring after the human Okesa flattened her ears and lashed her tail. Closing the slider with her foot the cat came in and slid her tray onto the massive table, unperturbed by the floating humans as she jerked her thumb at the hall.

"Wot's 'er problem, neh!"

* * *

**Notes:**

(1) The honden ( 本殿) also called shinden (神殿?) is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined kami, usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is normally in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of its usually stands the **haiden**, or oratory. The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden, or hall of offerings.


	7. Chapter 7

**HAKU**

Haku was about to follow Michio when Megumi caught his arm.

"Let her go."

Glancing back he found the female's gray eyes sharp with shrewd thoughts.

It was obvious that she had seen something he had not.

Frowning desolately, Haku wished he shared Megumi insight.

Michio's response was utterly baffling.

How was it such a simple play could inspire such hatred!

"Yeah, man. She's being a stick in the mud anyway. _Whoa!_"

Loosing his grip, Jae dropped to the ground and sprawled out on the tatami. Kenka whooped loudly as he shot up to bump the rafters. Looking between them curiously, Okesa traipsed over only to use the human as a pillow as she poured him a saucer of sake.

"Neh, neh? Drink wit me, neh Jae-Jae?"

This he accepted without pause, downing it before frowning up at Okesa.

He tugged on the hem of her sweater as if disappointed.

"Where'd your pretty kimono go, kitty-kitty?"

Okesa blinked as her brow furrowed. Jae gasped, sitting up in surprise as she changed before his eyes. In a blink the cat was draped across his legs wearing the soft sumptuous black and red silk kimono from earlier. Gold and silver foil birds danced in her piled hair as she shook her head, gazing at him coyly as she poured him another saucer of sake.

_"Dude!"_ Kenka hushed as shock sank him down onto the tatami beside them.

Okesa relieved him of the umbrella in exchange for a cup, charming him into her power with the tiny beguiling movements of her body. Every reach of her hand, drop of her shoulder, and tilt of her head dripped with flirtations. The humans were powerless to resist her persuasion.

"Drink wit us, Kenka!"

Kenka did not argue as she laughed shamelessly and poured him sake.

"_Kampai!"_

Haku cringed in pity at their cheer.

The males would regret this come morning.

"Can you do that too?"

Haku blinked rapidly as he looked back at Megumi.

He shrank as her intense gaze raked over him.

"P-pardon?"

"Can you change like she does?"

Again discomfort forced him to show rather than tell.

Megumi jolted much like Jae had as Haku pulled a ruse into place. At once he was dressed as he had been on stage. Blue and gold reflected off the drab beige walls as the fantastic textiles caught the buzzing electric light. The female's eyes nearly swallowed her face they went so very wide. She shrank a step, making the long blooming sleeves of her teal kimono swing and sway. Megumi, however, did not flee as Michio had. Encouraged by that Haku offered his sleeve, holding out the brilliant cloud patterned silk. Gingerly she reached out and touched the fabric with shaking hand. Her face cleared with awe as she rubbed the sleek substance between her fingers. But her eyes turned accusing once more as they lifted back to his.

"And the dancing? Was that magic too?"

Her quiet inquisition caught him off guard.

It shocked him into answering.

"N-no…"

Dissent glittered in her frigid glare.

"I don't believe you."

Haku wilted in exasperation.

"You have seen me dance before, Megumi-san."

She crossed her arms as her face darkened obstinately.

"Show me again. Prove to me it's not just a trick."

Goaded by the way she continued to speak to him as if he was a peasant to be commanded, the wind of Haku's indignation blew through the room. She thought his performance false! The fact that she believed him to be such a liar set Haku's blood boiling. Dance belonged to the Gods. It was one of the few things left to him from the being he had chosen to forsake.

He would answer her insolent demand.

He would show her truth.

He would show her how kami danced.

Again Megumi jumped as he stomped his foot, clambering back. The impact rattled the room as he ghosted backwards weightlessly sinking onto his toes. In the same movement fluidly he drew one hand his face to call up his mask. The other he flourished over his head. Haku froze there for a bated moment, holding his fingers poised as his sleeves swung pleasingly, sending flashes of gold and silver across the drab walls. Striking out, he unfurled Okesa's fans in a crisp snicks. They appeared out of nowhere in his hands.

No longer caring whether or not the human was watching, Haku's blood sang with elation as the bells rang in his chest like a peel of sunshine. Floating on the sound, hardly feeling the touch of the kiss of ground for he moved so lightly, he cut the fans through the air in an undulating motion, letting them become the waves of the sea. Strange that the ocean should inspire him now; but distantly it soaked him through. He could taste the salt on his lips. He could feel the kiss of the frigid wind on his skin. Making music with ever move, he rocked the center of his body, ebbed and receding like the fickle tide, until he drew and gathered back into a whirling twirl.

Then he sprang high like a breaking wave flashing blue and silver.

Leaping from the ground, only to crash on the imagines shore.

Gliding forward as the wind beneath his heels let him drift uncannily.

As he flowed to stillness the same wind broke over Megumi, making her hair billow. She shrank from him as a human might flee the hissing foam of a breaking wave. As he stood over her triumph surged in his heart; because she was looking at him the way a mortal might see a God: with complete and utter awe.

Megumi was trembling from head to toe.

But as with Michio it was not with fear.

Jealousy glittered in the female's pale eyes. Her lips drew into a grim line as she tossed a hand over her shoulder as if directing him toward the location of her past. She chewed on every word as if they cost her great shame, spitting them angrily under her breath.

"Everything you said in the studio was right. I'm mechanical. Perfect technical skill but no emotion. No feeling. My brother used to call me the _wind- up ballerina_.

A self-derisive sneer eroded her tight lipped primness.

It left her red nosed and with the glimmer of tears in her eyes.

"I've studied my whole life at the best studios in the world! I've had the best teachers! And still I can't get it right! I don't know what I'm doing wrong!"

Here envy flooded her face as she looked up at him.

Gone was all the accusation and doubt she turned on him before.

"But you... I've never seen _anything_ like you... You're everything I could hope to be and so much more! I don't understand how you can be real!"

Haku shrank from her vehemence, struck dumb by her pronouncement. Never in a thousand years did he expect such a compliment from Megumi. But in this moment, as he stared at her open face, he felt as if he was seeing Megumi for the first time. Not as what she put herself forward to the world, but the person she hid behind her judgments and haughty assumptions. Looking at her now was like looking at himself. He found in her a shadow of the dragon he had been. They were the same: lonely and lost yet drowned by their own pride.

Haku jerked, yanked from his thoughts as she seized his sleeve.

All that was left in her now was desperate hungry wanting.

He knew that look far too well.

She bent beneath its weight.

"Show me how to dance like that! _Please?_"

It was the first time she had asked him for anything.

Not commanded, or order, but sincerely entreated his help.

Haku pushed up his mask letting it fade with the rest of his ruse.

Silently he studied the hope flickering in her eyes.

He knew not even where to start or even if such a thing was possible.

But for her sake he would try.

Coming to stand beside her, Haku settled his weight forward onto his toes, swiveling slightly as he centered himself there perfectly balanced. Heat climbed into his cheeks as Megumi studied him with intense focus, immediately imitating his form. Though she was an image of grace poised in her teal kimono, already she was failing. She had not centered herself, but not due to lack of skill. He could see the fear in her. She kept glancing at him sideways, verifying again and again that she held herself correctly. As a result she lost track and became unbalanced.

Such an effort was folly. She could not find center by copying him. She needed to look inward, not outward at him. But as Haku straightened, frowning as he pulled at the fringe of his hair trying to think of what to say, anger and frustration flared in her face. Before he could reassure her Megumi broke form throwing up her hands in despair.

"See! I'm hopeless!"

"Megumi-san…" Haku began gently but she cut him off.

"_Save it!_ I'm an idiot for still trying!"

She snapped furiously as she stormed for the door.

Megumi was not listening anymore.

Haku realized then that she had never been listening.

For some reason she refused to hear him, giving up without trying.

Whatever he chose to say would be useless.

Better then that he show her.

Haku flicked his fan, making the bell ring commandingly.

The sound swung her around.

Her face drained of color as she returned to her place beside him

Smooth and fluid, her hands followed his to the ready position.

One high and one low; elegantly poised like the sun and earth.

With another flick of the fan he guided her to center.

Together in perfect unison they floated forward on the tips of their toes.

Only to wheel in a circle, gliding and ghosting on a wind of his making.

It rustled their clothing as they floated back to their origin.

She began to fight as the shock wore off, turning her head toward him.

With a flick of his fan he directed her gaze forward.

"Do not look at me," he instructed quietly, "I am not here."

Sinking lower over his heels Haku used the bell to force her to focus inward.

"Remember the umbrella, Megumi-san. It is as your feet left the floor."

Haku placed a hand on his lower stomach.

"Search for the sensation of weightless and hold it here."

She blinked rapidly as her hand followed his motion to rest on her obi. As she nodded shakily Haku broke form and stepped backwards so she could not see him. He studied her from behind; watching her perch on the edge of balance. Folding his hand he slowly withdrew his hold, leaving her teetering there.

"Lift your hands." He instructed gently.

She complied, gracefully lifting her fingers into a perfect replica of his motions. This time she did so without help, sinking low over her toes as she wheeled round. In a testament to her true ability Megumi floated through the movements he had shown her, performing beautifully by human standards.

"Good! Very good, Megumi-san!"

Haku found himself smiling until Jae swore beneath his breath.

"_Jesus fuckin' Christ!"_

He had completely forgotten about the males! Haku spun on his toes only to find Jae and Kenka were staring at him much like Megumi. They were looking at him the way a mortal might see a God: with complete and utter awe. Earlier he wanted this; wanted to prove to Megumi that he was no liar. But now Haku flustered in embarrassment under their scrutiny as heat flooded his face. He shrank into the wind of his disquiet as Megumi seized his arm and wheeled him around.

"W-what did you do to me!"

Throwing up his hands in supplication Haku made the bell on his fan ring.

"It is only as you requested," he returned quickly, "I showed you how."

_ "Show us next!" _

Kenka was on his feet, hauling Jae upright as they scrambled over to take up position where Megumi once stood. With a heavy sigh Okesa forsook her sake bottle to scoop the pancakes from griddle to plate, daintily holding back her sumptuous sleeves.

_"Tch! _Why y'gotta spoil my fun, kitten? We wuz drink' 'n' now we's _dancin'!_"

_"Ha!"_ Jae laughed as he hung on Kenka to keep from falling over, grinning back at the cat, "That's t'great thing 'bout parties, kitty-kitty! We can do both at the same time!"

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

She slipped in the snow, catching a branch to keep from falling.

The stacked zori were not meant for mountain climbing.

Neither was her gorgeous kimono.

Breathing hard thanks to the climb, Chihiro made slow progress. At least she was warm now. Well, warm_er_. As she carefully picking her way through the dense trees she tried not to get it caught on anything. Would Onsen be pissed if she got mud on it? Chihiro fervently hoped not. The pitch black forest around her was completely quiet save for the crunch of snow under her feet. The silence was super creepy, making her feel like all kinds of things were watching her. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the ebb and hiss of the ocean. That freaked her out even more.

Glancing ahead she could see the trees thinning.

Suddenly light gathered over her head, pale and warm.

Looking up Chihiro gaped at Chouchin as she drifted high; illuminating an enormous stone torii gate loomed over the path. Chihiro hadn't even seen it! Slowly the true moon emerged from behind cloud as Chihiro nervously crept out from under the stone archway. A clearing opened around her as the filtered light of the lantern slowly seeped through the trees. It caught on the pluming cloud of her breath, settling like snow on the score of stone monuments previously hidden by the dark. It took her a moment to recognize the grave markers. She gritted her teeth as more and more resolved out of the dark around her.

Great. Just great.

Of course she'd stumble right into the middle of a graveyard.

What a great way to spend New Year's Eve!

Chihiro shrank with a gasp as something moved in the periphery of her vision. A cold sweat froze on her upper lip as her heart surged into her throat, throbbing in her ears. Whirling toward it, she struggled to see through the dark as again the shadow glided by. Chouchin thumped right into the side of her head quivering in terror. Chihiro caught the obake in her arms, holding it close as her skin crawled.

The ghost looked over its shoulder.

It wore a sad mask of white that reminded Chihiro of a Noh play.

It beckoned before pouring like smoke between the ancient standing stones, disappearing further into the cemetery. Dancing from foot to foot uncomfortably, Chihiro hesitated as her knees shook. Kami were one thing; but ghosts were something else entirely! But something was different about this specter. It obviously wanted to show her something. Curiosity burned in her frozen blood. Breathing a shaky breath, finally she released Chouchin and forced herself to follow. Sidling down the hill, Chihiro peered ahead into the dark as she caught sight of a blue light.

But it wasn't periwinkle orb.

This floated and bobbed like an otherworldly moon.

There was no mistaking the fox fire.

Chihiro watch as beneath the single orb of flickering fire Suzume bowed over his hands in silent prayer. Looking like a ghost himself, the fox was dressed in a plain white kimono and hakema. His ragged ebony hair hung in an uneven mess around his face. He kneeled on a mat in front of a massive family complex of grave markers. It had been swept clean. Offerings of sasaki leaves, rice, and sake were placed in front of a brand new stone marker stood out against the weathered pillars.

Again Chihiro startled at movement in the peripheries of the dark.

Staring from the corners of her eyes she froze as the world came to a standstill.

The foxfire stopped flickering.

The smoke from the incensed froze.

Chouchin locked into place midair.

Eerie silence fell over the clearing until all she could hear was her furiously hammering heart. Dark seemed to bleed from every corner of the courtyard. It pooled around her like water, bring with it a bitter, bitter cold. Slowly, as if soaking up all the shadows in the clearing, the ghosts appeared. The taller held tightly to the hand of the little ghost in the sparrow's mask. Forlornly the child watched Suzume as if all she wanted was to join him.

Slowly the big ghost reached up and removed her mask.

Chihiro held her breath.

She'd seen a photo of Manami.

That was the only reason she recognized the ghost.

As if she's just climbed out of the bay her long black hair flowed down her shoulders wet and plastered to her body. She faded away into nothing just about at the knee. As Chihiro's heart throbbed in her ears she gritted her teeth again a bone-rattling shiver. Because Amano's dead wife was looking right at her with clouded white eyes. Under any other circumstance Chihiro would've ran right back to the shrine. But the ghost wore an expression of sadness that displaced any fear her appearance inspired. At once Chihiro was babbling, trying to say something that would help.

"I'll take care of him, okay? Please don't worry."

That didn't help. If anything Manami looked even more troubled as her clouded gaze slide sideways to focus on her instead. Chihiro's chest tightened with apprehension as premonition hung over her head like the ominous shadows pooling at the ghost's feet. Manami looked like she wanted to say something. Her lips moved, but Chihiro couldn't hear. Taking a step closer she strained her ears. But still; there was only the sound of her furiously beating heart.

"I… I can't hear you, Manami!"

The ghost bowed her head in despair as she faded taking Reika with her.

Chihiro utter a squeak as abruptly sound and movement flooded around her.

The fox fire overhead guttered loudly, making the shadows dance.

"Child," Suzume growled, "Have you not spied upon me enough today?"

Stammering wordlessly, she pointed a trembling finger at nothing.

The ghosts were gone.

All the same Suzume cocked his head to the side.

"So we have had a _visitation_."

He muttered the word irritably as if terribly annoyed.

With his back still to her Suzume explained quietly.

"They cannot stay in this world after tonight. Manami seems to think hiding Reika from me will make this parting easier. It will not."

His voice gentled as he spoke the old woman's name.

"The boundaries between the worlds are thinnest at winter and summer solstice. Unfortunately that means they will not be able to return again for some time."

With tender care the fox sat up on his knees to touch the newest stone memorial.

Here he grew wistful, talking to himself now.

"I look forward to dancing with them at Obon."

Chihiro stared at him as worry soaked her through with cold. But before she could come over and sit down beside him again the fox fire guttered. Chouchin shrank with a sparking hiss, darting to hide behind Chihiro's back. Sinking back onto his heels Suzume tightened his hands into fists against his knees. They were still black, stained with the marks he'd earned when he tried to lift Sengen's curse. Suzume was sad when he spoke next; really, _really_ sad.

"I know Reika brought you here to comfort me. Do not think me ungrateful, child. But I… I am so _very_ lost at the moment! I would rather be alone than be unkind to you."

Chihiro hesitated.

This was the closest thing to an apology that she'd ever get from the fox.

Chihiro would've ignored his request.

Chihiro would've gone over and sat down next to the fox.

Chihiro also regularly pissed Suzume off.

But Sen knew better.

Chouchin followed uncertainly as Chihiro turned and left the clearing. Clumsily she picked her way through the trees in the lantern's dim light, walking right into every mud puddle, tripping sticks, and low hanging branch. She hardly saw them, too caught up in the mess of thoughts inside her head. Even though Suzume had asked her to go depression weighed on her like a physical burden.

And she couldn't _not_ think about Lin and Kiri.

Not knowing what to do was just as bad as not knowing what had.

Even worse was the terrible thought that there might not be anyone to look for.

Tears pricked her eyes as laughter, music, and light filtered through the trees. It rolled in waves off of the shrine grounds as she clambered down the hillside. But she hardly heard or saw it now. Earlier she'd been all kinds of excited about coming into town. Now all she wanted was to get out of her constricting obi, have a bath, and then fall into a pile of futons. She thought about going to find the others to tell them she was going home. But Haku'd probably insist on coming home with her. He looked like he was having such a great time with Cinna.

She didn't want to ruin his fun or anyone else's.

She wanted them to have a normal evening for once.

Well… As _normal_ a night as possible for them.

Who knows when they'd get another chance?

Utterly exhausted, Chihiro turned her back on the festival and made for the front door to the shrine residence. The lantern followed in her shadow like a dog, bumping into the back of her head as she sighed heavily. The bath tile was still hanging from a nail tacked into the slider's frame. It snapped to the door like a magnet as she pulled it open. Blissfully silent the dark kitchen yawned ahead of her. A shiver of magic crawled across her skin as she crossed the threshold. Shutting the back door on the gleeful sounds of the festival Chihiro shuffled across the kitchen heading for the bath wing. But as she pushed through the split curtain she came up short as dim light filtered down the hall from the great room. Peering through a crack in the doors she found the yokai seated at the massive table that ran the length of the room.

A sea of shells was strewn across the table.

They gleamed in the candle light like bits of ivory.

Bozu scratched his tonsured pate, searching the table with deep concentration.

Flipping two of the shells over, he revealed the painting inside.

One was of an oni mask. The other showed a smiling woman.

_"Bah!"_ The goblin sank back on his heels in defeat.

Abruptly one of the shells flipped back over without him touching.

Another further down the table flipped over revealing another smiling woman.

It was a matched pair and the shells jumped.

Bozu scowled with his single eye as they joined the growing pile opposite him.

Clutching his tiny fist he hit the table top.

"Stupid house is cheating!"

As the house creaked and snapped indignantly she withdrew with a grin. Regardless of what Cinna thought of the goblin, Chihiro was glad.

It looked like Onsen had found some company.

As if repelled by the moisture Chouchin drifted away Chihiro trudged into the bath wing. Flicking on the lights in the woman's changing area and carefully extricated herself from the gorgeous kimono. Naked and shivering, she scooted over to the storage closet where the yukata were kept. As she opened the cabinet she blinked. Haku's thickly padded green kimono neatly folded on the top of the pile. It was completely out of odds with the rest of the indigo fabric. A lick of heat kindled in her cheeks as she remembered they'd left it on the floor last night. Onsen must have cleaned it and put it away with the others. Remembering how soft it was she shook it out only to pause as something fell from the folds.

It bounced off the floor only to roll.

She startled from the bright flash of the mirror.

It circled, clattering softly as it tipped over on the tiles.

Chihiro stared at it trying to breathe as her heart thundered up into her ears.

She'd forgotten all about it.

She shoved her arms into the green kimono, distantly noting it smelled like spicy smoke. Chihiro hastily tied it around her waist, hoisting the extra length so she could scoot over and kneel beside the circle of silver. It had come to rest polished side down. On its back was an ornate raised relief of two twining dragons. Their twisting coils became a motif of waves. The inset blue stones of their eyes glittered ominously, almost watching her.

Her insides scrambled as uncertainty ran rampant in her head. Not knowing completely trampled her resolve. It left her shaking with dread. It drove her to pick up the mirror up. The metal was so unbelievably cold it burned. Her hands shook as she remembered the way Keiichi handled the thing. The thing obviously scared the hell out of him. One look; that's all it would take; just enough to see Lin. That's all she wanted. That wasn't too much to ask, was it?

As she turned over the smooth side Chihiro stared at her reflection.

She blinked in disappointment as nothing happened.

Then a blinding flash hit her eyes like sharp shards of shattered glass.

Chihiro recoiled with a scream. Her feet left the ground as she fell backwards. She screamed again as she continued to fall, plunging through open air at a dizzying speed until she smashed through the surface of the ocean. Stunned by the shock, the salty and frigid water sucked her down, pulling her under. She struggled, thrashing as the pressure crushed in on her. Opening her mouth to scream the water invaded, stinging inside her nose, filling her lungs with heaving fire.

All the while the light remained inside her eyes, angrily twisting, digging deeper and deeper into her head; until it exploded into a flood of shapes, smells, and unimaginable impressions so intensely vivid it felt like her head was going to burst open under the pressure from the searing burning seething pain. But before her head could pop like a bubble; before the crushing weight of the water could swallow her whole; the ocean rolled her sideways into a churning spin only to smash her back against the sandy bottom.

Coughing and gagging, Chihiro sat up out the surf as the waves hissed back

The angry tide dragged at her legs, trying to pull her back under.

But frozen arms held her.

Anchoring her in the frothy liminal edge where the ocean met the shore.

His hoarse worried whisper tickled against her neck like effervescent spray.

"Okay, this's got t'be t'_stupidest_ thing I've seen you do yet!"

Hauling in breath after breath, she sagged in Hidé's arms.

Looking out of the water she stared at the hidden harbor by the old village.

A bow of stars hung in the indigo sky over the distant snow capped walls of stone.

They blurred as she screwed her eyes shut against the burn of salt.

"I… I just wanted to know if Lin and Kiri're still alive!"

Hidé didn't scold her.

She was exceedingly grateful for that.

All the same, he paused uncertainly.

He whispered beneath his breath like he didn't want to know.

She could barely hear him over the dull distant roar of waves.

"What did you see?"

It was kinda funny that he didn't know already.

Strange actually, but in the worst kind of way.

It reminded Chihiro that even Gods didn't know everything.

And that scared her so much she didn't know what to do!

Rocking forward clutching her head, she cringed from the surf as it surged around her waist. It was so very cold; so very, very cold! She kept waiting to wake up. Because this was too terrible to real! But she didn't wake up. She was already wide awake and trapped by the hellish nightmare Sengen had shown her. Because Chihiro hadn't just seen what was happening now. The goddess had only been only too happy to show her glimpse of what was going to happen in the future. But it was a mess inside her head, jumbled and tangled forward and backwards like a snarl of string. Chihiro tried to escape the pull of the waves, struggling in Hidé's unyielding grip she recoiled from the visions, trying not to see all over again what she'd seen. Because she had seen, terrible, _terrible_ things! She didn't want to admit how much she understood. Not yet!

"Can I change what I saw!"

Chihiro choked on the words as her throat closed under the vice of terror.

As Hidé hesitated her hands tightened on his arm and gave a vicious shake.

"_Can I change it!"_

"S-sure you can, boss," He murmured at a loss, just as bewildered as before, "Fate's not set in stone like t'stories make it out t'be."

Thankfully he didn't ask her again to tell him what she'd seen.

Again Chihiro slumped in his grip.

She tried not to cringe as another wave rolled by, lapping under her chin.

Furiously she hissed through her chattering teeth to keep from sobbing.

"Why does she_ hate _me so much!"

Here Hidé's arms tightened around her middle almost possessively.

"She doesn't hate you, Boss. She's afraid of you."

Chihiro blinked and blinked and blinked some more.

"Why?"

Hidé sighed gustily, kicking up a swift breeze that send the waves foaming.

"A God renounced himself so he could be with you, Chihiro. It pisses her off because it scares t'crap outta her. She doesn't get why anyone would want to be human."

Before Chihiro mull that over Hidé stood. He pulled her upright as the white capped waves lift and break around them. Before she could turn he slipped something over her head. Something hard and small knocked against Haku's scale. Chihiro jolted as the bell in her heart rang resoundingly inside her ears. Staring down at her gaping kimono Chihiro blinked the glittering blue jewel. She'd worn it once before during the summer matsuri. It was one of the three treasures of the Kumomi Shrine; the second was the mirror she'd stolen from Keiichi, and the third was the sword Hidé put in her hand.

She stared even more stupidly at the short sheathed blade.

Like the silver mirror it burned beneath her fingers.

Like the mirror, twin dragons twined around its hilt.

Their sapphire eyes glared at her suspiciously.

Just holding it made her skin crawl!

As she tried to give it back Hidé insisted, covering her hands with his.

"I won't let her hurt you but I can't promise I can do t'same for what's beyond t'sea an' that seriously _scares t'shit_ outta me!"

She looked up as his voice cracked, nearly drowning all over again in the desperate expression in his endless blue eyes. Just as abruptly she looked away as her heart squeezed up into her throat. Even though he was all kinds of Godish he still managed to look human.

Fear was the great equalizer.

No one was immune, not even kami.

He put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her in the beating waves.

They burned against her skin, just as cold as the sword clutched in her hands.

"I can't come with you so at least take these. They're mine now, not my mom's. They're my gift t'you. Use them t'even things out as much as you can."

Chihiro's hear thrilled up into her throat as he leaned in close.

The response was so automatic it was shocking.

Screwing her eyes shut, she struggled to swallow the stab of pain in her throat.

All kinds of difficult things swam uncomfortable circles in her chest.

Because she thought she was past all this; apparently not entirely.

Shame burned her cheeks.

Her knees shook as he planted a simple kiss on her forehead.

His frozen lips whispered against her skin as he lingered for a moment.

"Stay close to t'ocean, Chihiro. I'll be looking for you."

Then a wave stuck her from behind.

She uttered a truncated shriek as it heaved her up off her feet, rushing up over her head in a gurgling bubbling cacophony that swept her forward. Buoyant and tumbling in circles, again her back hit the bottom. But this time it wasn't sand. The hard floorboards knocked against her head so soundly she saw lightning in the burbling dark. Like a stunned bit of flotsam she was left at the water's mercy. But the wave's strength was ebbing. It dwindled, depositing her on the ground and pulling at her feebly as it trickled by. Distantly she could hear it dribbling somewhere below her head.

Drip, drip, drip.

The floor vibrated beneath her back as swift footsteps jolted the boards.

Water splashed her face, making her jolt as hands seized her.

She stared up into Suzume's stricken face only to cough up a mouthful of salt water. He rolled her on her side, pounding on her back as she continued to retch, not helping at all, actually. She was forced to drop the mirror and the sword to bat at his hands, trying to get him to stop. As they clattered loudly the fox recoiled with a gasp. Finally able to breathe again, she flopped over onto her back and glared at him furiously.

He was plastered against the ruined ribs of the paper sliders.

Soaked through, his spider silk hair was a tangled mess.

With open loathing he stared askance at the jewel around her neck.

Growing more and more appalled, his eyes flashed to the sword then the mirror.

As they darted back to her it was obvious he'd figured things out.

"Child!" Suzume's choked in dismay, "What have you done!"


	8. Chapter 8

**HAKU**

Grinning broadly from sheer enjoyment Haku flashed his fans.

Back and forth; high and low; side to side; front to back. The tinkling bells rang in joyful accompaniment, towing Kenka and Jae along with their song. Dancing lightly from one foot to the other Haku bobbed and wheeled between them, spinning the humans rounds and round only to usher them back and forth across his path. Faster and faster he drove them until they were breathing hard with exertion. The males, howver, did not seem to mind in the slightest.

Kenka gawked at him in wonderment each time Haku passed.

"Dude! How're you doing this!"

Haku was enjoying himself too much to answer. It was a rare joy to be able reveal himself thus; to dance with his friends as nothing more or less than himself.

"It's the fans, isn't it?"

Haku glanced back at Megumi only to find her studying him vigilantly. He couldn't help but notice her toe tapping in rhythm with the bells. As once self conscious he broke his song, lapsing to stillness. Dizzy and exhausted, Kenka and Jae collapsed onto the floor at Haku's feet laughing uproariously.

"That was so_ fuckin' _cool!" Jae cackled gleefully,_"I love magic!"_

"Yeh's smart fer ah human, neh kiddo."

Megumi flashed the cat a sour glance.

Okesa was still pouting into her sake cup.

"S'not just t'fan, kiddo; s'how y'weild 'em, neh?"

Haku flinced as Okesa flicked open one of her fans. Obviously surprised, the female began to dance against her will as the cat waved her along in traipsing mincing steps at odds with Megumi's character.

"Stop it!" She stammered, flushing with mortification, "I said stop!

Stunned by the cat's audacity Haku cut the air with his fan.

Megumi teetered, falling to a rude seat as she scrambled away from the cat.

"Okesa!" Haku reproached, "Not without permission!"

"Wot?" She sniffed, turning aside evasively as she absently batted at one of her hair ornaments, "S'important fer 'em t'know s'not all fun an' games."

The light hearted humor that once filled the room went cold a strained silence fell.

Faces tight with confusion the males looked back and forth between he and the cat.

"What's she talking about?" Kenka began hesitantly.

Haku avoided the question, kneeling beside Megumi wordlessly offering his hand.

She refused his help, climbing back her feet to glare at the cat.

"Make me dance again," the female commanded hotly.

He placed a cautioning hand on the human's shoulder.

"Megumi, that is not wise…"

She shrugged out from under his hand and stamped her foot challengingly.

"Did you hear me, cat! I said make me dance!"

"So we's playin' now, huh, kiddo? S'fine wit' me."

Haku cringed as she spoke, at once gritting his teeth as he looked to the cat.

Okesa's back was toward them.

The tip of her tail flicked back and forth under her kimono hem.

"Okesa…" He began a placation he was not allowed to finish.

Haku cringed from the sound of bells as they struck him physically.

The sound was like a punch to the gut.

Swatted backwards, the wind momentarily knocked out of him as he toppled to a rude seat between Jae and Kenka. Coughing and gasping, Haku could only watch in dismay as Okesa rose in a smooth flowing motion wearing an irritated moue. Her hair ornaments glittered and shivered as the cat flicked her fans, sashaying from side to side as if bored with all this. At once Megumi lurched about in the cat's command, red faced with fury as she turned her back and presented her rear only to slap it suggestively, straightening to gyrate her hips in unflattering comical motions.

Jae shrieked with laughter as he pointed and clapped.

At odds with his response, Kenka hid a grin behind his hands.

Both male flinched in fear as Okesa stamped her foot.

Her smoldering red eyes reflected like mirrors as she stared at them coldly.

"Y'think tha's funny, neh?"

With a gasp Megumi spun on her heel and stumbled for the balcony.

Jae and Kenka shrank in confusion as the female yanked open the slider.

The sounds of the street and the raucous party below flooded inside as a wind hit the room. Cold flooded around him in its wake, blowing right through Haku. Megumi uttered a shrill shriek and she threw herself against the railing. The sound propelled him off the floor and to her side. But as he pulled her back she ripped from his grip, spinning around to sprint back into the room as the slider slammed behind them. Again Megumi shrieked as at the low table she lunged for the griddle only to pause with her hands poised over the hot surface. Okesa flourished her fans sending Megumi reeling backwards into Haku arms only to pluck Jae and Kenka from the floor. White faced with shock, the males marched forward as the cat beckoned.

"Dancin's nae all fer fun, kittens. Dancin's _power!_ Dancin's t'language o' t'Gods 'n' wit' i'we cun make y'do _anythin' _aye wan'. 'Member tha' kittens."

They cringed as she traipsed back and forth between them with a wicked grin.

"_Tch!_ Lighten up, neh! Aye's just havin' fun 'n' razzin' yeh's!"

Unfortunately neither Jae nor Kenka appeared to be having fun.

Looking on in dismay Haku scolded the female beneath his breath.

"Are you satisfied, Megumi-san? Oh, why did you goad her so!"

Staring askance at the cat she was breathing hard with sweat beaded on her brow.

"I wanted to see what she could do…"

Still, undaunted her jaw set firmly as the female tightened hands on his arm.

Her pale eyes narrowed with calculating calm

"How do we get her back?"

He blinked and blinked some more.

_"We!"_ Haku returned in an indignant hiss, "_You_ started this!"

At once Megumi was glaring up at him furiously.

"You brought us into this world, Nigihayami. We have to learn its rules," Megumi bit back between her breath, "Now show me what to do so I can teach those idiots!"

He flinched as her words cut him deeply.

She was right; he had brought them into this.

And it was his responsibility to show them how to protect themselves.

Oh, this was not at all how he expected to spend his evening!

Watching Okesa dance circles round the males his insides tightened with apprehension. In anticipation of the thorough trouncing that was about to come, Haku heaved a heavy sigh and lifted the female to her feet.

"I should warn you, Megumi-san; Okesa is a far better dancer than I."

Her ground pale eyes flashed back at him.

Megumi was gritting her teeth again.

"I really wish you hadn't told me that!"

She blinked as he closed her fingers around a bell.

Secreting one of his fans into her hand Haku tried his best to explain.

"She will own you by forcing you to submit to her movements. Do not fight. That is useless. The only way to resist is to change the dance. You must take back the rhythm and make it your own."

Megumi nodded as she straightened her kimono.

Already she was sinking onto her heels in anticipation.

Taking his place beside her, Haku slowly folded open his second fan.

Their bells rang as they skipped forward, stomping again and again in perfect unison as Haku trampled Okesa's rhythm, obliterating it as they slid to silence. Jae and Kenka crumbled to their knees as the cat staggered to stillness. Spinning on her heel with her tail bristling out in surprise she stared them up and down with wide dilated eyes. In response she produced her second fan, whirling them like tops on the tips of her fingers before snatching them from the air in a clamorous clanging peal.

"_Tch! _Soy'wanna play too, neh kitten?"

Grinning broadly, she revealed sharp yellow teeth as her eyes tightened to slits. Kicking the trailing hem of her kimono back, the cat sank into a low stance.

The length of her pale creamy leg peaked as her bare foot slid forward.

The cat ground her toes into the floor if bracing to propel herself forward.

Haku leapt aside on the crest of a gale, evading as she struck out at him. With lightning quick steps he crossed his feet back and forth circling with Megumi following in his wake like a shadow. Point and counter-point their fans flashed, ringing in a brisk one-two rhythm that redirected the cat, pulling her along. But already Megumi was weighing him down. Haku clenched his jaw as already he could feel the female resisting. It became obvious that she knew not how to follow. Willfully she tried to dominate their pace rather than build its harmony.

Lithely Okesa spun, turning to face them only to change directions.

At once Megumi was exposed by her unwillingness to join his rhythm.

Haku was yanked off balance, pulled to stillness as the cat ensnared the human.

Okesa plucked the female right from his control!

In a sweeping spin the cat yanked one of the human's feet from the floor with a sweeping flourish of one fan even as she flicked the other forward. At her foot cut out from under her Megumi pitched forward off balance. Haku cringed in anticipation of a fall that never came. The human moved with her sudden momentum, offering her fan hand forward and her ensnared foot behind, catching her weight on the toes of her grounded foot. Lean and powerful, her bare leg lifted from beneath the fold of her kimono as her sleeves trailed in beautiful folds. The bell of her fan rang, seamlessly propelling her back to equilibrium. Extending grandly, she balanced perfectly weightless edge of the buoyant center he had shown her.

Stunned by the unexpected turn Haku could only stare.

It was a move he had seen Megumi employ in the dance studio.

Okesa lost her rhythm as she too was caught up in surprise.

Harmlessly her wiles rolled right by as Megumi rocked her weight backwards. The female lifted to the point of her toes as she swept her extended foot round, whipping into a tight spin. Still perched on her toe she whirled only to land flat footed before launching upward and vaulting to the side. Megumi's bell rang as she threw her hand to the side as she landed, bowing with controlled grace into a composed position. Over extended and exposed, the cat yanked forward under the power of the gesture. Tucking into a roll she somersaulted forward only to roll back up onto her feet. Dropping the ruse of her sumptuous garments, back in weathered black, the cat's tail bristled into an enormous brush.

Every one of her hairs was standing on end as Okesa stomped her foot.

At once Megumi's bell silenced.

Megumi sank to a rude seat gasping for breath.

She was human after all. Godspeed was not her custom.

Gesturing wildly with extended claws the cat scrambled for words.

_ "W-wot t'hell wuz tha'!"_

"An arabesque…" Megumi wheezed finally.

"Ah-rah-_wot!_" The cat hissed suspiciously as her ears flattened.

"It's a standard position from classical ballet."

Megumi feebly circled a hand as she continued to gasp for breath.

Sinking slowly onto her heels the cat's ears swiveled uncertainly.

"Bah-lay? Aye's _never_ seen tha' a'for!"

Megumi nodded as she put a hand to her side as if it held a painful stitch.

"I figured that. I've been watching you and the others. You always dance the same style. I wanted to throw you a curve ball."

She recoiled with a gasp as the cat was at her side yanking on her arm.

"_Neh, neh, neh!_ Show me more bah-lay!"

Megumi fought her off, motioning at the males.

"Talk to Jae. I'm a terrible teacher. Kenka can show you ballroom moves too."

Okesa's red eyes dilated to the point that they swallowed her irises.

Kenka and Jae shrank as she rounded on them with intense interest.

She wiggled her claws at her sides in rapt anticipation.

"There's _more_?"

Megumi snorted contemptuously.

"Of course there's more. There's a whole _world_ of dance styles and traditions."

Okesa hissed at her as she rounded on the female lashing her tail.

"Well aye's never seen 'em!" The cat threw back hotly, "Show me!"

As they continued to squabble Haku's knees began to shake.

Slowly what he had just witnessed began to sink in.

For a brief moment Megumi had gained the upper hand over Okesa.

A human had trumped a God.

Though their dance was but a game, had it not been so it was a deadly moment. Megumi was correct; Okesa only danced in one style.

All Gods spoke the same language.

Humans, however, spoke in hundreds of variations.

And in that diversity lay great power.

Power to best the Gods at their own game.

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

For some reason she felt the need to state the obvious.

"I looked."

Chihiro coughed some more, trying to clear the water from her lungs.

Suzume loosed an angry bark, making her jump.

"Keiichi could have looked for you, child!"

Answering his anger with more anger, she snapped back.

"I didn't want to make him look! Not after seeing what it does to him!"

Growling loudly he threw his hands at the flooded hall.

"And _this_ is an acceptable alternative! She could have _drowned_ you! What could have been so important for you to risk yourself like this!"

He was telling her things she already knew; still talking to her like she was an idiot. More than pissed Chihiro slammed her fist against the boards, splashing the water and making him yip in surprise. She was shouting now, yelling right back at him without holding back as she sat up. Because there were plenty of things he didn't know.

"I just wanted to see Lin, okay! And it was worth it! Because I _saw_ them, Suzume! They're alive!"

He knocked back against the soaked sliders as if she'd pushed him.

Stunned speechless, Suzume gaped.

All the anger drained from him as he continued to stare.

So did all his color; leaving him bleached and frail.

She squeaked as yanked her in his arms, almost crushing her.

"_Suzume!"_ She gasped, _"Suzume, I can't breathe!"_

He loosened his grip only slightly, tucking her head under his chin. Worriedly he nuzzled the top of her head. It was the kind of thing an animal might do. Somehow satisfied by whatever he smelled, Suzume loosed an exasperated sigh. He shook her gently again and again. The undisguised affection fraying his voice to a whisper brought stinging tears to Chihiro's eyes.

"You stupid, _stupid_ girl! What am I to do with you!"

Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him back.

Again he yipped as she nearly pulled him over.

"Don't call me stupid, you great big _jerk!_"

Slowly he was leaning on her heavier and heavier.

All of a sudden she was the one holding him.

In the tiniest voice he commanded in the barest whisper.

"Tell me what you saw!"

It wasn't much of a command. Chihiro blinked, because Suzume was shaking; trembling violently as he drew back only to fold in on himself. The fox gathered handfuls of sodden kimono at her knees. Lowering his head onto his clutched fists, he bowed to her, begging now.

"_Please_, Chihiro…! Tell me of Hayashimi else I shall _perish_ of fear!"

Chihiro tried not to stare. She didn't want to see him like this. It rattled her to the core. Even as she scrambled to see in other ways, if only for his sake, the images eluded her. They danced just out of her reach like strikes of lightning in the distance. But for some reason she was too far away to hear the thunder.

What the hell!

Gritting her teeth in fury, Chihiro cursed Sengen under the breath. Is this what it was going to be like, then? That bitch could climb inside her head and chase her around with all kinds of _horrendous_ things, but the moment she needed to see what she'd seen they'd be snatched out of reach!

Oh, there was no way she was going to let that stand!

Taking a deep breath Chihiro closed her eyes and confronted the boiling sea of inside her head. All at once the rest of the world faded as the screaming salt air whipped through her hair and the black waves smashed against her legs. They pulled on her indomitably, receding begrudgingly only to return with a vengeance. But this time the water hissed and fizzled against her skin, sending up gouts of steam as she glared at the churning water. Holding that breath she stepped into the surf and dove into the stinging currents.

Sinking like a stone, her insides thrilled with panic.

Down, down, down; she plunged into the swirling cold.

Until her feet hit the sandy bottom.

Again the lighting flashed, but this time right behind her eyes.

Kicking off the bottom, the bell in her heart rang triumphantly as she surfaced.

Out of the murky surf she tore a vision.

It was still a mess and not quite what she'd expected.

But it was a start.

Opening her eyes Chihiro rocked back onto her heels as the return was a more abrupt that she expected. Suzume as sitting up now; still clutching the fabric at her knees he was studying her face with an expression of awe and fear. In spite of being slightly disoriented, already she was pulling on the fox, struggling to stand.

"Get up, Suzume."

Mutely he obeyed, rising and pulling her with him.

Stooping, she hastily snatched up the mirror and shoved it into her sleeve.

Feeling like an idiot, awkwardly she slung the short sword thru the tie at her waist.

What the hell was Hidé thinking giving her of all people a sword!

Grabbing the fox by the sleeve she pulled him down the hall frowning at the soggy floor. Her bare feet splashed in the standing water. Chihiro came up short in the nexus of the hallways. The entire entryway was flooded; black water pooled in deep puddles on the flagstones. She shivered as frigid air breathed in from the snowy garden. The water had ripped out the paper in the sliding doors lining the passage to the bath wing. It had even made it down the hallway leading to the kitchen. The tatami mats within were sure to be soaked! Surveying the damage, she gritted her teeth, chewing on the rage smoldering in her gut. She was so sick of having her house torn apart!

"Child," Suzume whispered in alarm, "You are _steaming_…!"

Blinking back at him she found the fox frowning at her in disquiet.

He was leaning away from her, pulling against the grip she had on his sleeve.

Glancing at her arm she watched a curtain of vapor rise from the wet fabric.

At least she wasn't on fire. No flames no foul.

Nonplused, she let him go and threw her eyes to the ceiling, calling loudly.

"I know you're here!"

Still looking at her as if not sure what to make of all this Suzume shook himself like a wet dog, making a moue of distaste as he wrung out his sleeves.

"Child, I do not under-…"

"_Shhh!"_ She hissed at him, cutting him off, "I'm not talking to you!"

As silence answered her resolutely, a blast of heat escaped through her skin, tousling her hair and clothes. At once they were dry as Chihiro stomped her foot. Onsen shuddered violently as the impact rattled through the boards of the house from foundation to rafters. Spinning in a circle, Chihiro began to pant as her temperature rose. The intensity of the fire throbbed and teemed inside her stomach, spreading to her chest, pumping through her veins as magic crackled like electricity at the corners of her eyes. But she held it back. The last thing she wanted to do was set her hallway on fire. As she restrained her inner blaze she broke out in a sweat; her skin felt uncomfortably tight under the mounting pressure.

"_Kuromi!"_ Chihiro thundered, "I need to talk to you so just come out, okay?"

Reluctantly a female voice echoed down the stairwell.

"Here…"

Spinning on her heel Chihiro made for the stairs.

But just as she mounted the first step Suzume caught her arm.

The fox growled beneath his breath, peering up into the second story.

Following his gaze she shrank back into him.

High above them, tucked unto the thick rafter shadows, was the spider.

Kuromi's red eyes glittered like stones as she crouched there. No longer wearing her school girl outfit, the spider's obi showed red and yellow like a warning in the dark. Her loose hair hung in a long curtain, pouring down like a stain of ink against the sallow wall. Her many hands flashed in glimmers of white in the gloom. They were everywhere; shifting nervously. The kami looked at her from the corner of her eyes as if ready to bolt. Chihiro felt the exact same thing in reverse! It was super _creepy_ to see her suspended there! Although what the spider had to be afraid of Chihiro didn't know.

"How do you know my name?" Kuromi began warily.

Chihiro ignored her question.

Already she was reaching her hands even as she leaned back into Suzume.

"I know you have it. You took it from the door after it closed. Give it to me!"

Kuromi blinked; her perfect pale brow tightening in alarm. One of her many hands retreated into her sleeve. The lacquered surface of bath tile caught the dim light as the spider revealed it. Sharp understanding dawned on her terrible beautiful face as she looked between them and the bit of wood. Kuromi stood, still hanging upside down. Chihiro flinched as she dropped, landing on her feet at the top of the stairs.

"That way is closed."

Chihiro blinked, confused as the spider tried to persuade her not to go.

"What is she talking about, child!" Suzume growled in her ear.

Chihiro waved him off, never taking her eyes off the spider.

"Look, I know what I'm doing," Chihiro threw back impatiently, "Just give it to me, okay!"

Kuromi shook her head resolutely, slipping the tile back into her kimono.

"Uguisudani Station will be crawling with my sisters. There are hundreds. You cannot hope to get past them even with the fox's help. They will kill you both."

At a loss for words, Chihiro gaped, utterly confused.

Why was the spider trying to protect them?

These _sisters_ she spoke of were the ones that had stolen Lin and Kiri!

They tore apart her house and nearly killed all her friends!

What did the spider care?

Anger crackled in her gut.

Chihiro gritted her teeth against curls of smoke.

Because she didn't have time for this!

Again she stomped her foot. Onsen jolted at her silent command, dislodging a curtain of dust. Suzume barked in surprise, dumping backwards against the wall as the stairwell heaved. The steps snapped into a slick incline that dumped the spider forward. Kuromi skidded down onto the middle landing with a shriek only to jump up, already climbing the wall in a blur of hands. Hastily the spider hurled a web of silk over her shoulder. It burst into flames, breaking around her in a cloud of ash as Chihiro pursued.

The steps snapped back into place as she pounded up the stairs.

As she went Chihiro struck aside each subsequent spray of silk.

The air was choked with smoldering ash as she reached the top.

Each flash of fire sent a burst of light down the pitch black hall.

Hideous shadows crawled and clambered up and down the walls as the spider ran.

But even as Kuromi tried to flee the hall stretched impossibly long.

Endlessly it poured onward as Chihiro chased.

Spinning on her heel the spider gave up on that direction.

Panting for breath, they faced off in the pitch dark hall.

"Just give me the bath tile already!"

Chihiro threw out her hands in exasperation.

"No!" Kuromi hissed, baring her teeth.

As the spider's hands moved ominously Suzume's flute screeched.

Chihiro startled as Kuromi shrieked equally shrill. The commanding music struck her physically. Flickering blue light plumed in the dark as the spider crashed into one wall only to spin and hurl herself against the other, making the wood splinter and buckle. Stunned and stymied, she tried to spring up onto the ceiling only to be snatched down by a trilling warble of sound. Trembling as if trying to hold up an enormous weight, the spider fell to her knees. Slapping hands to her ears, she collapsed onto the ground as the strident notes made her writhe and toss. It ripped at the spider's pretenses, peeling back the veneer of her appearance. At once her hard exoskeleton gleamed in the dark as her terrifying beetle black body filled the tiny space. With obsidian talons Kuromi clawed at the floor, tearing gouges in the wood.

"_No!"_ She keened, clambering to hide her face as she wailed miserably, _"Please! Please, don't make me! I don't want to be a monster!"_

Unsettled by the sight, Chihiro shrank as a cold hissing stone of guilt dropped into the conflagration of magic churning in her chest. She glanced at Suzume sharply as he came along side her. Eerie blue foxfire burned in a crackling orb over his head, illuminating the pale hair fluttering about his face.

He continued to breathe breath after breath into the gold flute.

But slowly wrath transformed the song.

As his music turned cold and cruel, Chihiro grabbed Suzume's arm.

"Enough!"

But he wasn't listening.

The fox's gold eyes burned with the hate.

The emotion haunted him; transforming his face as he glowered at the spider.

Chihiro's blood turned to ice as she recognized his hollow expression.

Stepping between them she shoved him back, loosening her grip on the fire.

It erupted around her in a hungry halo of red, singing the ceiling and the floor.

Startled, he recoiled as she extinguished, making his foxfires gutter.

Stomping her foot again Chihiro made the floor pitch and roll beneath him.

"_I said enough, Suzume!" _

As he bared his teeth threateningly she blew a raspberry at him childishly.

It worked; as the fox sputtered indignantly she turned to the spider.

Kuromi had pulled back on the lie of her human form.

She was crying quietly, rocking back and forth hiding under her hands.

Sickened by what they'd done Chihiro looked away from the wretched creature.

Without hesitation Onsen frisked the spider with invisible hands. The bath tile skittering across the ruined floor and knocked against Chihiro's bare feet. She blinked at it stupidly then snatched it up. Magic bit and snapped at her fingers as she slapped it onto the nearest door. Without thinking she hauled open the slider only to cringe from the wall of stones that greeted her. She'd completely forgotten about the cave in! With a scream she recoiled from the flood of stones that poured through in a snarling rush. Boulders the size of her head smashed the floor and walls, tumbling down the front stairs.

They would've crushed her and Suzume had hands not seized them.

Again she squeaked as her feet left the ground. Something hauled her up into the safety of the rafters. Hugging a beam, Chihiro gritted her teeth as Onsen winced and shuddered. Finally the stones ceased to fall and the dust began to clear. Glancing to her right she found Suzume crouched on another beam. He was frowning in consternation at the avalanche of stones below. Looking to her left Chihiro jolted as she found her nose inches from Kuromi's. The spider's tear streaked face was grim as she stared back in cryptic silence. Slowly, as if trying not to frighten her, Kuromi took back the steadying hands Chihiro hadn't even noticed.

Stunned, Chihiro stared, studying the spider's face.

Kuromi was barely more than a teenager.

At least that was a human guise she chose to put forward.

And she was left wondering how much of what she chose to show was true.

Chihiro jumped as Suzume dropped among the clattering stones. Foxfires sparked and hissed to life in the dusty dark of the hall, clustering around him as he silently prowled up to the portal. The doorway hung dark and empty as the fox peered through with careful gold eyes. In a blink he was standing beneath her reaching with beckoning black hands in the tense silence. Chihiro didn't resist as Kuromi lowered her down into Suzume's waiting arms. The fox shoved her behind him as the spider dropped from above.

Lithely Kuromi landed without making a sound.

As she straightened she was wearing her school uniform again.

Chihiro found herself frowning at the spider's bare feet.

Kuromi crept to the edge of the doorway, studying the dark beyond.

As Chihiro tried to join her Suzume held her back.

Fury spiked in her chest as she spun to hiss through her teeth in his face.

"_If you want to find Lin stop holding me back and help me!"_

As he recoiled Chihiro yanked out of his grip, joining Kuromi at the doorway. She had to grip the frame to keep her hands from shaking. The spiders had been busy. Great beams of glittering spider silk bolstered the compromised ceiling. Hundreds upon hundreds buttressed the cracked uneven plane of the ceiling. The fallen stones had been cleared, piled up along the walls. A massive pile had dumped through when they opened the door. It was so very quiet; so perfectly still beyond the archway. Chihiro swallowed as she found her mouth dry. Her hammering heart throbbed in her ears so loudly she could feel the blood pumping in her veins. Because beyond the doorway was an all too familiar train platform.

Iron tracks gleamed in the dark like long mirrors, reflecting the blue foxfire.

They disappeared off into the yawning tunnels at either side.

The stone torii gate leading to the spider cavern yawned ahead of her.

Chihiro tried not to see the black stain of dried blood on the opposite side.

This was where they'd lost Lin and Kiri.

Fear pitched in her chest as she took an unsteady step forward.

But she came up short as four of Kuromi's arms shot out to bar the way.

Glaring, Chihiro opened her mouth to argue.

But the spider shut her up by placing a single finger on her lips.

"I won't try to stop you; so at least let me go first."

Chihiro blinked and blinked some more before blurting what was on her mind.

"Why're you helping us!"

Kuromi looked back at her before throwing her conflicted gaze away.

Sniffing the air experimentally, she crept through before beckoning.

"My enemy's enemy is no enemy of mine."

"That's what you said in the kitchen," Chihiro replied resentfully as she loitered in the doorway, "That doesn't explain anything."

At once Kuromi was fiddling with her hair, spinning a long section around her fingers. It made her look painfully young. Finally the spider explained herself in a quick clipped response. Even though kami couldn't lie, it was obvious she meant every word.

"I made a deal with Nigihayami. I'll help you and yours. I won't stop you until you get your friends back."

Chihiro shied against the doorframe as Suzume appeared beside her.

His gold eyes were dangerous as they pinned the spider in place.

"In exchange for what?"

A muscle jumped in the back of her jaw as finally Kuromi answered.

"I want to be _human_…!"

She whispered the word like a prayer.

As she did a deep distant tremor rattled through the ground.

Chihiro shrank with a gasp as dust and pebbles poured from cracks in the ceiling.

A great gust of wind blew through the tunnel.

It was strangely hot and smelled strongly of smoke.

"Quick!" Kuromi was beckoning vigorously, "Before it caves again!"

Suzume hauled her across the threshold.

Cringing from the sting of magic Chihiro spun on her heel.

She threw the door to the metal staircase closed, severing the connection.

Then she opened the door once more.

There was the second tile bath tile.

It was fixed to the metal where she'd placed it what felt like ages ago.

Peeling it free she shoved it into her sleeve. It clacked against the mirror as she shoved the sword around into the small of her back and hiked. Hiking the green kimono, her bare feet slapped on the steps as she began to climb. Blue foxfires whizzed around her in a constellation of light, illuminating the flights of steps above. Kuromi ghosted by, taking the lead as the host of her hands and feet painted the walls of the stairwell in a frightening thicket of shadows.

Up; Chihiro clambered, pushing herself faster and faster.

Her lungs and thighs burned; bare feet raw from the sharp bite of the metal grates. Suzume scooped her up as she stumbled, carrying her now as if she didn't weigh a thing. She could feel the bunching power of his muscles as the fox loped along. She hide her face in his shoulder as he kicked open the door to the stairwell. Wind caught her hair as they surged ahead so fast her insides thrilled. Electric lights blinked and sputtered as the fox strode through the sheets of plastic hiding the entrance to the spider's cavern.

Out; into the empty shattered halls of Uguisudani Station.

Swift like long streaks of lightning, foxfires flooded ahead of them, lighting the long tiled corridor. They hissed and fizzled up into the broken dome of the station atrium as Suzume sprinted out of the tunnel. He came up short momentarily as another distant tremor rolled and jolted the ground. Chihiro swallowed a truncated shriek as broken glass and massive chunks of ceiling rained from above, lit up in disturbing flashes as the firefly lights whizzed and darting between them.

"_This way!"_ Kuromi shouted over the bass moan of the crumbling building.

Chihiro's teeth snapped together as Suzume vaulted over a mess of benches.

A wall caved behind them with a metallic shriek.

Again the fox leaped out of the way, skidding as they burst through a door.

The metal frame ripped from its hinges under the impact of his shoulder.

It cartwheeled aside as he darted out into open air.

Breathing hard, Suzume spun on his heel, staring in horror as the roof caved.

Numbly Chihiro watched as Uguisudani Station folded in on itself.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro wobbled as the ground gave a sympathetic bone-rattling shiver.

She stared as the dust of the station's collapse plumed up in dark curls.

But these were lost in the midnight sky.

There were no buzzing yellow lights to catch the moment in harsh detail.

The buildings around the station were pitch-black.

So was every street and alley as far as she could see.

The silence and the stillness of the once bustling hub left her rattled.

She flinched as Suzume called a single orb of blue flame to life above them.

Chihiro refused to give up the fox's hand even as he set her down.

"Where is everyone?"

"They've been evacuated," Kuromi answered.

Turning, Chihiro caught sight of the spider further on down the road. She was standing on the other side of a road block festooned with caution tape. All the signs were pointing the opposite direction. Towing Suzume along she clambered under the tape, shivering violently as she turned to read the signs in the blue foxlight.

_Caution! Do not enter! Unstable ground! Collapse imminent!_

Chihiro drew her lips into a grim line as she studied the scary looking yellow icons showing little line drawing people falling into a massive sinkhole. Already she was backing away, pulling on Suzume's pale sleeve.

"I think we should get out of here now."

Here the fox rounded on her.

His angry gold eyes reflected the pale flicker of the foxlight.

"Child! I did not question you before and I have borne the results of that folly in silence! Now I demand you tell me where it is we are going!"

Chihiro glared peevishly and answered him straight.

"Gojo Tenjin Shrine."

As he opened his mouth to snipe back his eyes dropped to her chest.

He blinked and went pink to the hem of his hakama.

Abruptly the fox spun away as her kimono slipped.

The short sword clattered to the ground along with the mirror and the tile as she scrambled the catch the kimono before it could pool around her ankles. Chihiro hastily turned her back as she struggled to keep it on. Thanks to the water, the fire, the wind, and the running the thin tie at her waist was pretty much useless. The thing was way too huge and much too long on her. It was Haku's after all.

Chihiro shrank with a squeak as Kuromi kneeled at her feet. Without a word the spider went to work on the green kimono. Hiking the hem above the thin tie at her hips, Kuromi folded the excess over, securing it at her waist with another tie magicked from midair. Several expert pairs of hands tucked and straightened the fabric as the spider produced a narrow obi from nowhere, winding her in the white silk only to secure it with another thick tie.

Sitting back on her heels Kuromi began shaping something in two pairs of her hands. Fascinated and delighted, Chihiro crouched to watch. The spider's fingers blurred with swiftness as she wove a pair of silk zori from thin air. As the spider gestured at her toes Chihiro held out her bruised feet so Kuromi could slide the sandals into place. Chihiro wiggled her toes around the thongs of her new sandals, taking a few scooting steps. They were incredibly soft and really scooshy.

"T-thanks!"

Satisfied, Kuromi stood with a nod.

Here Suzume began again testily as if nothing had happened.

"What is so important that it must be found at Gojo Tenjin Shrine?"

"You might want to be quiet from here on out," the spider counseled quietly as she looked up the fizzling blue orb, "None of those either."

Suzume growled at her but she didn't seem to notice.

Already Kuromi gestured at the wall of dark tunneling ahead of them.

"Gojo Tenjin Shrine's this way."

Hastily Chihiro stooped, picking up the mirror, the tile, and the sword so she could shove them down the front of her spider silk obi. She flinched as the foxlight fizzled out. As dark flooded around her panic surged up into Chihiro's throat. Before she could shrink into Suzume the fox claimed her arm, pulling her along as they followed Kuromi. But as her eyes adjusted to the dark the prick of fear went numb.

The streets were empty.

No monsters or creepy ghosts.

Just empty avenues of concrete.

Chihiro frowned as they walked down the middle of the dark avenue.

It was so weird to be right in the middle of such a main street.

As the tall buildings parted Chihiro caught a glimpse of the city. In the distance, as if it was another world entirely, the rest of Tokyo glittered in a kaleidoscope of colored lights. Ueno Park, however, loomed atop the hill ahead like a blot of ink. The dark silhouette of the pagoda hung in the sky like some monstrous giant. Somewhere in the distance a temple bell rang a hollow haunting tone.

Again and again it rang; echoing the hum in her heart.

Premonition gathered over Chihiro's head as they crossed the street, passing under the dark arms of the bare trees lining the massive courtyard at the heart of the park, Chihiro could feel the change. Tokyo was much warmer than Izu; so warm she wasn't freezing in just the kimono. But now a cold sweat broke out all over her body. With every step she could feel the stones beneath her feet vibrating with something beyond description. The skin between her shoulder blades crawled as the tips of her fingers tingled. A strange pressure exuded out of the dark that made the hair on her forearms stand on end. Chihiro knew that feeling all too well.

It wasn't surprising that Ueno Park should feel this way.

It was one of the last places you could find kami in Tokyo.

Chihiro came up short as they rounded another familiar corner. Ahead of them a building lay in a heap as if it had folded flat. It must have collapsed in the earthquake. But as she continued to stare at the wreckage her frown deepened until her forehead hurt. Because she was struggling to understand why she recognized the rose garden beside the ruin; the elm that leaned over the devastated building was equally familiar. So were the dim outlines of the wrought-iron tables and chairs still peeking out from under the debris that had collapsed onto the deck.

Chihiro stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the shards of ceramic.

A smashed pitcher lay in the middle of the path.

It took her a moment to see the sign where it lay on the ground a few feet away.

_Le Pichet_. It announced in plucky curling letters.

In a horrible flash she understood.

Her head snapped around in horror as finally she _saw_ the remains.

Gone was the dance studio.

Gone was the kitchen with its squeaky black and white tiles.

Gone were lacey curtains and the lovely smell of baked bread.

Gone was the little apartment tucked away in the top corner.

Gone was the pool of sunlight where she and Haku lay so blissfully.

All that remained was a hollow, ruined, wreck of wood and plaster.

The loss cut her deeply; so deeply she didn't realize it until the sorrow welled. The wound in her memory was bleeding profusely. She tried to staunch the emotions somehow feeling like it was wrong of her to be so upset. She hadn't worked here; she hadn't lived here either. But still, this place had been a part of her life. She'd wanted to be here. This place mattered to her. And now it was gone!

Suzume hauled her along behind him.

Numbly she followed.

Looking over her shoulder she couldn't even see it anymore.

Night swallowed the building whole.

Chihiro stumbled, barely seeing the tall stand of bamboo or the red torii gates as she passed beneath the arbor of their clustered lintels. Pressed between the high stone walls that grew taller and taller as the ground sloped away, she lurched down the slick stones as if dreaming. Only as the walls yawned open ahead and light flickered into the courtyard of the dark grotto below ahead of them did the surroundings register.

Again the temple bell rang distantly.

Chihiro jolted at the sound as she stared down the hill into Gojo Tenjin Shrine.

As she did the bell in her heart rang clamorously.

All at once the vision she'd pulled out of the water inside her head suddenly came to life. Seizing Suzume, she hauled the fox to a stop, pointing wordlessly. Ahead of them, further down the network of stairs, copper green gables of hundreds of tiny shrines clustered in mazes in the grotto below. Over them folded the swooping roof of the main shrine. Light spilled out from the interior illuminating a handful of kids. Chihiro could see them clearly from their vantage point.

They clustered around the offering box using it like piece of furniture. Grinning widely a boy in a battered fedora held a pep tea bottle out of reach. An even younger little boy in an orange marshmallow jacket jumped for it. A girl smacked fedora boy making her plastic bangles rattle. He bowed to her in apology and relinquished the tea only to shrink as something splashed in the adjacent koi pond. On a rock beside the water an impossibly tiny old man stooped to fill his kettle only to fight to keep hold of it as a slimy creature tried to snatch it from his hands.

"Back! Back, you stupid kappa! That's my kettle!"

Ripping it free, he spilled back onto the stones.

He blinked behind glasses that magnified his eyes to massive proportions.

Chihiro blinked because she'd seen all of them before.

Somehow she knew them.

But for the first time Chihiro recognized them for what they were.

Kami; they were kami!

The girl with the plastic bangles turned to a form huddled against one of the shrine pillars offering a convenience store bento box. It took Chihiro a moment to see the woman; she was half hidden behind a stone fox statue. She shook her head, hugging her knees as if sick. Obviously worried, the girl stood forlornly by her side as if at a loss for what to do. Chihiro blinked in surprise as a name rolled off her tongue.

"Aki!"

Just as surprised the kami's head shot up.

Her pale face was white beneath the wild mess of her sandy-red hair.

Aki's gold eyes flashed as they found her across the distance.

The light in the shrine flared, turning blue as it dropped from the rafters.

Chihiro gasped as she realized it was a foxlight!

All at once the rat girl was on her feet pointing up at them.

_"Spider!"_ The girl shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Kuromi swore beneath her breath.

Suzume flattened Chihiro against the side of the path as the spider shoved by.

But before she could get far foxlight exploded overhead.

The light was shocking; it blinded Chihiro, taking her utterly by surprise.

Because she hadn't seen any of this!

With a savage howl Aki fell on Kuromi from above. A gold wheel gleamed on the woman's red lacquered armor as the silver of her twin blades flashed. They hit stone, spitting sparks and sharp shards as Kuromi dove backwards. She sprang up at Chihiro's feet throwing lances of silk as she transformed. At once wearing beetle black armor the spider's red eyes flashed dangerously beneath the visor of her helmet. Cutting down each of the projectiles with stunning accuracy, Aki blocked the exit to the shrine even as she advanced with another savage growl.

Aki hacked at the spider heedless to the fact that they were dangerously close. Suzume shoved Chihiro out of the way as Aki swung her blade wide. The razor edge cut through the thick torii pillar where she'd been standing! The wind of its passing hissed right over her head as they fell to the stones. Rolling aside and dragging her with him, Suzume flattened Chihiro against the stone wall as the trampling horde of Kuormi's feet smashed the pavement.

The spider had swords of hard silk in her hands, deflecting and parrying the vicious barrage of Aki slashing blows in a blur Chihiro couldn't track. But it became painfully obvious that she wasn't any match for Aki. With an impact that rocked the stones behind Chihiro's back, the fox woman hurled Kuromi's blades aside, embedding them deep in the pillars. In a move the spider didn't expect the Aki leapt high only to catch the heavy lintel of a stone gate and haul it down with supernatural strength.

The massive pillar of stone bounced off spider's helmet.

It sent her stunned and sprawling to the ground.

Before Aki could fall on Kuromi more foxfire erupted in the narrow passage. The fox woman recoiled with a howling shriek as a barrage of blue flame stuck her full in the face. But she didn't burn even as the blue tongues caught her armor on fire, making the lacquer blister and melt. All the same, she wasn't immune to the pain. Dropping her swords she clutched at her face and screamed in agony as she thrashed in the dark. Aghast at the horrifying sight, Chihiro startled up onto her rubbery legs, shrinking toward the stairs as Suzume filled the passage between them.

His gold flute was at his lips.

The compelling song screeched in the dark.

Still on fire, Aki whirled to face Suzume.

And it turned out she wasn't immune to only his fire.

Knocking aside his flute she balled up her fist and punched him right in the face. Chihiro screamed as Suzume went down hard, disappearing over the lip of the steps as she scrambled too late to catch him. Cold and sick with terror she whirled back to the passage as Aki snarled. Looking her up and down before glaring in utter hate at the spider silk obi, the flaming fox woman lunging at her. Chihiro screamed as a lasso of silk whizzed out of the dark, looping around Aki's neck sending her careened into the adjacent stone wall. The fox woman howled, crashing into the opposite wall as she fought against the now burning lines of silk. Desperately Kuromi hauled back on the ropes, casting another and another only to have them catch fire. As they turned to glowing coals they began to disintegrate.

Gnashing and snapping her teeth, Aki strained forward, grabbing at Chihiro with burning hands bathed in blue foxfire. She recoiled with a gasp, teetering atop the precipice of the steep stairs transfixed by the madness in the kami's eyes. Fear drenched her with paralyzing cold as the coals of the fire in her heart shrank in hissing terror. But in that moment Chihiro saw the truth in Aki. She saw the fox and the dog at war within the God woman. For the moment the dog had won. Blinded by pain and fire, Aki gave the beast inside her free reign. It set her upon them frenzied and frothing at the mouth.

Kuromi screeched as the last line of silk snapped.

Chihiro's feet left the ground as Aki surged forward to seize her by the throat.

* * *

**HAKU**

_"Whee!"_ Okesa shrieked merrily as Kenka waltzed her around the room.

The tall male laughed just as rapturously as he swung her in dizzying circles.

Megumi was trying not to smile again.

Her blithe eyes watched with fascination.

Haku studied the female from the corner of his eyes.

She was quite beautiful when she was not scowling and judging the world.

Haku's lips quirked as Megumi shoved food into her mouth; it was an ungainly sight that revealed an earthiness he had not expected. Licking her chopsticks the female held out her empty plate out demandingly. Obliging with uncharacteristic silence, Jae prepared her a second helping. The male revived the cold repast Michio began earlier on the griddle recessed into the low table. Once on her plate Jae drowned the flat savory delectables in ribbons of mayonnaise and strange sweet salty sauce squeezed from floppy bottles. Not finished yet, the human garnished each with toasted sesame seeds, shreds of roasted nori, finishing each with a small bloom of pickled ginger.

The delicious smells set his mouth watering earlier.

Haku, however, had entirely forgotten his after the first few bites.

Impatiently he drummed his fingers on the table top.

One-two-three, one-two-three; unconsciously keeping rhythm.

The sounds of the parties in the rooms below and beside faded into silence.

He found himself desperately listening for approaching foot steps.

Again Haku glanced at the door and sighed gustily.

Jae and Megumi's clothing fluttered in the wind of his disquiet.

Across the table the humans frowned at him uncertainly.

"S'up, man? You ain't touched your food."

Jae poured and offered another drink. Haku accepted the glass not bothering to sip this time. Swallowing a gulp of the bitter brew the fizzy beer burned in his belly and lit his cheeks with heat. Feeling strangely light-headed he gestured toward the door.

"Chihiro is long overdue, do you not think?"

Jae waved off his worry dismissively as he polished off another bottle.

"She's probably out with that kid an' her mom."

Haku's frown deepened as again he looked at the door.

As he opened his mouth to argue Jae cut him off.

"Man_, _quit _worryin'_ about her! What are you, her man or her _mom_!"

Haku frowned irritably as Jae grinned at him like he was an idiot. Red faced and squinting at him as if to clear his vision, the male gestured at him with a bottle.

"You gotta give chicks room otherwise you'll smother 'em. Y'gotta play it cool, right? Give 'em space an' let 'em come t'you."

Megumi snorted derisively.

"Since when do you know anything about women?"

Grinning with disarming charm Haku did not expect, Jae poured her a glass.

"More 'an y'think, Meg."

His hand weaved in the air unsteadily as he offered it. Half annoyed, half amused, Megumi fought to catch hold of it before it spilled. Each time she reached for it he listed forward or to the side. All the while Jae's grin grew broader and broader until Megumi realized he was purposefully with holding the glass to tease her. She slapped his shoulder as she finally caught hold of the glass.

"You're such an ass!"

In spite of her admonishment Megumi was grinning. She blinked as he reclined onto the tatami beside her, preening as he gazed up at her slyly. Pink crept into her cheeks as abruptly she looked away to busy with the business of her drink. She, however, did not shove him away. Haku blinked rapidly as he caught wind of something between them. Whatever it was disappeared as abruptly Okesa pounced Jae. She landed soundly on his middle from quite a height making him curl up wiggling his limbs like an inverted beetle as all the air rasped from his lungs. Megumi recoiled in surprise as the cat jostled him from side to side as he lolled on the ground limp and stunned.

"Jae-Jae! Neh, didja see me, Jae-Jae? Didja see me _wall_-zing-ing?"

She hauled him into her lap, pulling and yanking.

"Kenka's all tuckered. Dance wit' me, neh? Show me some bah-lay?"

"See, Meg?" The male gasped faintly still grinning, "The ladies _love_ me…"

Haku made room for Kenka as the tall male collapsed beside him panting for breath and trembling with exertion. He laughed high and free, glowing with happiness as he collapsed on the mat, gratefully accepted a glass of beer as Haku poured and offered. Sitting up on his elbow he downed the drink in a single gulp.

"_Dude!_ I haven't danced like that in years and years on account of this!"

He patted his hand on his chest over his heart.

"I wish I could keep going but I'm seriously out of shape!"

They both flinched as the table loudly scooted across the floor.

Megumi was on her feet storming away under a dark cloud.

"Where y'goin', Meg?" Jae called after her in a loss.

"What do you care?" She snapped back angrily, "You're not my mom!"

Megumi slammed the sliding door in her wake. Cinna jumped as all the hair on her tail bristled out. Giving Jae another companionable shake she draped herself around his shoulders while whispering in his ear.

"Wot's 'er problem, neh?"

Blank faced with confusion Kenka looked between Jae, the cat, and the door.

Understanding slowly dawned on him; understand Haku wished he shared.

The tall male stood shakily looking like he was going to follow.

Then the sliding door ripped back open.

White with surprise, Megumi lurched back inside as Bozu towed her in his wake.

Obviously upset the tiny yokai was scolding her in a shrill voice.

"Bozu has been looking for you _everywhere_, pretty human! Too many buzzy-buzzy lights! Hurt's Bozu's eyes! Bozu couldn't find you!"

Pale blue with dread, Chouchin bobbed and darted behind them. The lantern knocked against the back of Megumi's head as she surged by. Spilling forward onto the tatami, the female cringed from the light as circled the room spitting frightened sparks. Haku was on his feet in a blink, catching the panicked God light.

Cold poured up his hands into his heart as she trembled in his hands.

It drenched him in dread; turning his legs to lead.

Premonition hung over his head the dark crest of a rouge wave.

"Ah! Stupid dragon is here!"

Frozen with fear he stared as the one-eyed creature suddenly yanking on his arm.

"Come quick! Come quick, stupid dragon!

The lantern ripped from his grip, darting up and around, pushing against his back, trying to shove him out of the room as Bozu guided him along.

"The _ocean_ is in your house!"

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

The heat of Aki's flames ghosted across Chihiro's cheek.

But the fox woman's burning hand missed as Chihiro threw herself backwards.

Her insides swam giddily as she fell like when she first looked into the mirror.

But it wasn't water that waited for her this time.

The wind knocked right out of her lungs as Suzume caught her.

Stunned for a moment, she jolted in the fox's arms as blue fire streaked down at them from the sky above. Dancing lithely between the ghostly meteors as they exploded in showers of snapping white Suzume whirled and darted among the stone statues, disappearing into the grotto's maze. Breathing hard, the fox pressed into the pitch black pooling beneath one of the stone foxes guarding a tiny roofed courtyard.

Chihiro blinked in horror as she stared up at his face.

Blood smeared his face and the front of his kimono.

His bottom lip had split where the fox woman punched him.

It was a terrible reminder that his flute and his foxfire were no good against Aki.

Gritting his teeth, Suzume draw back further into the shadows as Aki leapt down from the hill. A jolt rolled through the ground as the crazy fox woman landed hard not far away. She growled in frustration. It was all too familiar a sound! Chihiro had heard Suzume growl in the exact same manner. Aki's animalistic shadow prowled across the still faces of the stone fox statues. As if unsure of what he was seeing Suzume watched Aki from the corners of his reflective gold eyes, both baffled and stunned.

Chihiro glanced between them equally confused.

Because he could've taken Aki down if he wanted to.

She'd seen Suzume rip the legs off a Forgotten.

Why was he holding back?

_"Spiders!"_ Aki shouted wrathfully, _"Where are you, spiders!" _

Snarling furiously, she snuffled the air loudly.

Spinning in a furious circle, she began pacing and panting.

Chihiro cringed as she realized the fox woman thought they were spiders.

Then it dawned on her that Aki was nuts! Seriously crazy!

"You smell like _blood and fear_, spiders! I ran from you once but never again!"

Here her voice cracked with anguish on her declaration.

"_Cowards!_ _Murderers! _You may grind us beneath the Wheel, you may eat alive my brothers and sisters in arms, but I still live, spiders! Shitamachi _lives_ in me!"

She struck the breastplate of her armor with her fist as she continued to howl.

As she did licking supernatural fire bloomed around her shoulders.

The crackling flames climbed up into her wild hair transforming her into a demon.

_ "Come out and face me! I will show you the true hellfires of Jigoku!"_

Brandishing her twin blades she whirled.

Suzume clamped his hand over Chihiro's mouth as she gasped.

Aki's reflective eyes shot toward them before they roved past their hiding spot.

Suddenly she was staring into the distance with predatorial acuity.

The insane fox woman's face tightened with confusion as bells rang.

A tremor vibrated the ground as they chimed sonorously.

Not the deep booming bass of the far-off temple.

These were close and clear like a shiver of falling snow.

Suzume flinched at the sound; so did Aki.

Again the hissing bells pealed high and shrill.

Someone was moving towards them in the dark. Chihiro stared in stunned surprise as an elderly human woman limped down a side path. Tall, thin, and regal; she was dressed in the white kimono and red hakama of a shrine servant. She moved with an unhurried even slowness. Her silver frosted hair was pulled back into a twist. She was more than middle aged and had weathered beneath time and trouble, yet she remained trim beneath her robes.

Light flash off her rectangular glasses if for a moment.

Chihiro blinked as she realized the woman's eyes were gray.

They burned like foxfires in the dark.

Unflinching, she turned and fixed Aki with a calm stare. But as Aki lunged the stranger dropped the stranger lifted her bow, striking the string with the shaft of a ceremonial arrow. The bells attached the fletching chimed and clanged stridently as the string buzzed harshly. The uncanny sound rattled Chihiro's teeth, vibrating in her very bones. It struck the fox woman physically, making the ethereal blue fire gutter and extinguish. Aki recoiled, wavering on her feet trembling and visibly afraid.

_"Spider!"_ The fox woman snarled hysterically, "I will _kill_ you, spider!"

Again the stranger struck the bow string with her arrow

Aki dropped her swords as she fell to her knees clamping hands over her ears.

Faster and faster the bow buzzed and the bells clanged.

Until Aki crashed to the ground with a strangled shriek.

_"Mother!"_ She wailed pathetically, _"Mother, help me!"_

Chihiro sprawled on the stones as Suzume dropped her. Stunned she watched him intervene between the human and the fox woman. A blue flame erupted like a third eyes above his head as Suzume wordlessly threw out a warding hand. The stranger threw up her hands, continuing to hold them aloft in a sigh of supplication as the buzzing bow string hummed into silence. All that was left was the sound of Aki sobbing against the stones as the stranger lowered her arrow.

"Peace, O-kami-sama. I bid you welcome."

Suzume returned her greeting with a vicious snarl, baring his sharp teeth. Eerie blue light flooded the courtyard as scores of foxfire erupted above him as he exuded incandescent light. His white kimono and hakama rippled as the foxfires whizzed around him in orbits of hissing fire that sent the shadows crawling. The fox emerged from within him as his gold eyes flashed in the dark, reflecting the passing lights. The shadow of the sharp points of his ears spilled across the ground along with the lashing brush of his tail. Stupid fear surged into Chihiro's throat as she shrank behind a stone statue.

When he was being prissy and moody it was easy to forget he was a God.

Times like these were a sharp reminder of how much more Suzume could be.

"_Peace!_"

Suzume thundered wrathfully, making his fires pulse, boil, and crackle.

"How can I be at _peace_ when you torment this kami, _fujo!_" (1)

Chihiro wasn't sure what a fujo was, but apparently it was someone who dealt with kami because the woman didn't even bat an eye at his fiery fit. Warily peering out from her hiding place Chihiro watched the stranger carefully turn her bow horizontal in her hands. She bowed over it low and slow; offering it out to Suzume as if the gesture was meaningful in some way.

"As you can see her suffering has given birth to the demon inside of her, O-kami-sama. I have laid it to rest for the time being."

Suzume's foxfire guttered at that, dwindling small.

He glanced at Aki from the corner of his eyes.

His brows drew together in concern as he studied the fox woman uncertainly.

Here he sidestepped in surprise as the kami girl appeared out of nowhere, resolving in front of Aki clutching a baseball bat. Chirhio blinked and blinked as she took in the girl's long tail and the large ears protruding from her tangled black hair. For a moment she stumbled about inside her head trying to decide if she was a mouse or a rat. The kami girl was shaking so badly her plastic bracelets rattled violently.

"P-please d-don't hurt Aki-san!"

Seconds later fedora boy joined her, appearing out of a fluttered of shadows. He was holding the lid of a trash can like a shield as he cowered in front of his friend. It took Chihiro a second to realize he was a badger. The mousy brown of his ratty coat wasn't a jacket after all. She marveled at the tufts of his ears protruded through the brim of his hat.

"She didn't mean to get so scary, honest, ma'am! Aki just went a little crazy over what happened in Shitamachi!"

The rat girl dropped her bat and lunged to catch the tiny child in the orange marshmallow jacket as he sprinted between them hissing and spitting in fury. Locking her arms around his middle she anchored him in place as the tiny male cat clawed at the air growling and baring his teeth as every hair on his head stood on end.

"K-kitten, no!"

The strange woman took all this in with a mild smile.

Here the woman's attention returned to Suzume.

"You are not Ueno-kami or Shitano-kami. Where have you come from, O-kami-sama?"

Scowling as if not sure what to make of any of this the fox retreated a step, letting his Godishness fade like his fires fade until only one remained. He sidestepped again with a yip of surprise as the tiny old yokai with the coke-bottle glasses leapt from behind his knees to chuck a handful of beans at Aki.

_"Ha-ha!"_ The tattered thing crowed triumphantly, "Demons be gone!"

Aki flinched, sitting up blinking in confusion as the adzuki clattered around her.

At once Suzume rounded on the yokai with a furious snarl.

_"Insolent creature!"_ He barked, "I tire of your antics!"

The goblin fled with a shriek to hide behind badger boy's garbage can shield wringing his hands around the handle of his loudly rattling kettle. Chihiro scrambled out of hiding to seize Suzume arm, hauling him back as he continued to growl. The fox silenced with a start as the rat girl gasped.

"Another human!"

Hurriedly she picked up the cat-boy and hid behind the lid of the trash can as if it could make her invisible, angrily appealing to the badger.

"I thought you said they all evacuated?"

He flinched at his name.

"Well there's two of 'em, isn't there! Some of 'em must've stayed!"

"She can see us, Gohan!" The rat girl hissed in mortification, "They both can!"

"I know, Sumirei! Will you shut up already! They can hear us too!"

"Gohan! Gohan, I think I know her! Isn't that Mr. Dragon's girlfriend?"

"Can't be! Kubi said she was thick as a brick!"

Chihiro frowned indignantly. Who was thick as a brick!

At once the boy lunged, scrambling to catch the blue skinned yokai as he peered out to look Chihiro up and down. His enormous eyes blinked comically as he waved with a faint smile, rattling his tea kettle at her.

"Yoo-hoo? Hello, little girl."

"Don't talk to her, Grandpa Bean! We're not supposed t'talk to humans!"

The yokai was pointed at something behind her, staring with interest.

"Look closely at her shadow, my boy. Can't you see? There's two of them?"

Chihiro shrank nervously from their intense stares hiding behind Suzume.

The yokai shook his kettle gleefully as he peered up at her.

"Ha-_ha!_ See? She's more kami than human."

Chihiro gritted her teeth as her insides went cold. What did he mean she was more kami than human! She jumped as the kami disappeared in a clotted flutter of disappearing shadows, clambering back and forth behind Suzume, making the fox throw up his arms as she circled him searching the courtyard.

The kami were gone!

"I have seen you Ogino Chihiro. Or should I call you Sen."

Chihiro rang like a bell at the name of her second self.

Whirling, she threw her attention back at the strange woman. Heat flooded her cheeks as she fidgeted awkwardly. Chihiro was quite sure they'd never met. Dumbstruck, she could only stare at a loss because again, she hadn't seen any of this!

"Um... D-do I know you?"

"No and yes," The woman replied cryptically, "My name is Hitomi Kazue. I serve the Gojo Tenjin Shrine."

With that the creepy woman turned and slowly limped back away.

Down the path in front of her lay the dark outline of the shrine complex.

"Come with me," she called back without turning, "Bring the fox woman."

Nervously shifting from one foot to the other, she found herself gritting her teeth.

Not sure what to do, Chihiro looked up at Suzume trying to catch his eyes.

The fox was still looking after the strange woman with an unreadable expression.

Before Chihiro could tug on his sleeve he knelt beside Aki.

The fox woman shrank, crouching timidly as if about to bolt.

But she froze; her gold eyes widening with recognition.

"B-brother mine?"

Aki whispered the word in astonishment as she stared up at Suzume in awe.

Suzume cringed from the word as if she'd punched him in the face again.

He turned away into shadow so she couldn't see.

But Chihiro could see.

Her insides scrambled uncomfortably as she tried not to.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut.

His brow creased with anguish as a breath caught in his throat.

For some reason inside her head she saw the broken fox masks.

High on a shelf tucked away in the mausoleum that was Mrs. Nikkou's bedroom.

She'd worn one once.

It had belonged to one of Suzume's sisters.

Chihiro didn't know much about his family.

She only knew that they were all dead.

What a terrible thing it was to know that even Gods could die.

She startled as finally Suzume spoke.

He choked on the words as they escaped beneath his breath.

"I am _not_ your brother, fox child!"

All the same he offered his blackened hands, extending them with a gentleness Chihiro rarely saw. Hesitantly, as if afraid he wasn't real, Aki took them. All kinds of difficulty things clambered across Suzume's face as he pulled her upright. His gold eyes were stricken with as he ushered the stunned kami toward the shrine complex in a pool of blue light from the single licking foxfire overhead.

Left alone in their wake Chihiro shivered violently.

A sinking feeling eroded her knees until her legs were shaking.

Turning, she stared at the dark secondary shrine.

It loomed like a mountain behind the sea of stone fox statues.

Distantly that stupid temple bell tolled a low hollow note.

It made the bell in her heart vibrate in sympathy.

Because this was what she saw in her vision.

But the feeling of conviction that had driven her here was completely gone.

Now silence and dark pressed in on her from all sides.

It left her feeling small and completely lost.

At the time she'd been so sure that it was the right thing to do.

Now she wasn't sure; wasn't sure of anything!

Doubt welled in her heart.

She gritted her teeth against a sob as it pushed and pulled like the frozen waves.

She hissed beneath her breath, talking to herself no matter how crazy it felt.

Because maybe Sen would give her a clue!

Her only other choice was to look at the mirror again.

No way in hell she was going to do that!

"_What the hell is going on!"_

No one answered.

Well, not in the way she'd hoped.

"I don't think I should come."

Chihiro shied with a squeal as Kuromi appeared beside her.

The spider was looking after the foxes with a grim expression.

Chihiro blinked as she put Suzume's flute in her hands.

More appeared as Kuromi put a steadying hands on her shoulders.

They burned with cold through the fabric of her kimono.

"I'll be outside, okay? Just call if you need me."

Then the spider was gone.

Chihiro wavered on her feet for a moment.

Then she sprinted after Suzume clutching his flute.

* * *

**NOTES:**

(1) There are usually two readings for each kanji. The Japanese word miko (巫女) can also be pronounced fujo. It is an archaic reading, one that isn't used anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

**HAKU**

Someone shrieked as his wind hit the tiny room.

It erupted around him in a vicious gale.

The sliders rattled and shook as Haku rocketed out of the second story window.

Out into thin air, he shot like an arrow from a bow.

Propelled into the frozen night by the yokai's terrible words.

Putting the wind beneath his heels he sprang from roof top to roof top, making each shudder and ripple as his wind ripped by, only to throw himself off the edge of the last into thin air. The umbrella furled loudly as he opened it only to fill the fabric with an enormous gust, emptying the contents of his lungs until he yanked back up into the frigid sky. He whipped through the low frozen clouds, cutting gouges through the mist as the bright streets of Kumomi blurred beneath him.

Again he was sinking, arching over the tall trees lining the Shrine parking lot.

The New Years festival yawned beneath him.

Milling bodies moved in lines and crowds, crawling the hill like ants.

Voices and music rolled up off the ground in laughing waves he did not hear.

Delicious smells rose around his feet that he did not smell.

Haku landed on the roof of the shrine complex with a resounding thud.

Tucking into a roll, he skidded down the slick ceramic roof tiles.

Dropping from the eaves, Haku landed lightly on his feet.

As he returned the umbrella to his coat his wind caught.

The unruly gale raked the side of the shrine buildings.

It ripped sliding doors half open and rattled the rest.

Haku barely noticed Amano as the human yank one open.

"Hey!" He called after him angrily as Haku stalked through the dark garden, "What t'hell's this all about, Nigihayami! Was that you just on t'roof!"

"Hello, O-kami-sama!"

The old priest called distantly as Haku did not so much as pause.

"Goodbye, O-kami-sama!"

Ignoring the humans he sprinted around the corner in another bust of wind.

He was at the door to the garden shed in a single stride.

The red bath tile gleamed in the dark.

Ripping it open Haku slammed it shut behind him as he flew through the door.

His feet hardly touched the ground as he sailed up the steps into the main hall.

Only to cringe back as his feet splashed in salt water.

The house stank of ocean.

Bits of seaweed and sand eddied in the still drifting puddles.

Onsen flooded the rafters over his head in a fit of anxiety.

The walls and the floor shook and creaked as she made them stretch and flex.

She lit ever lantern and candle with the flickering white flames of her being.

Enormous boulders filled the hall ahead of him.

More sat sullenly on the middle landing of the front stairs.

Creeping forward, Haku craned his neck as he caught a flash of red.

Peering beyond the stones he saw Chihiro's fire kimono.

If floated like a drowned bird in the dark pool that now filled the front entryway.

"Chihiro!" He thundered in a panic.

The ensuing silence froze the very blood in his veins.

At once Onsen spilled light down the stairs from the second story.

Vaulting over the stones Haku shot up into the upstairs hall.

Stones filled the hall from wall to wall as if an avalanche had poured through.

It had.

At the end of the hallway, glaring the dark like a red eye, was a bath tile.

It was firmly fixed to the door to Chihiro's old room.

Dust flew in his wake as he was at the door hauling it open.

Only to stare through into the dark interior of the room beyond.

The connection had been severed.

He could not follow.

Haku caught himself on the frame as his knees gave.

All the same he dumped down onto the floor the middle of the doorway.

Numb with terror he ripped the compass from his pocket with shaking hands.

Lazily the needle swung slowly, so slowly Haku choked on a sob.

It pointed north-east: the direction of bad luck.

It was an ill omen!

He dropped the compass, clenching hands into fists as he bowed over his knees.

These he hammered once upon the floor.

The entire house shook, jolting him off the boards as he loosed a shout of agony.

The stones at his back roared as they bounced and clattered.

Because she had gone so very, _very_ far!

Collapsed there on the hard boards Haku tried to think.

How long had it been since last he saw her?

An hour? Two hours? Possibly three?

What could have possibly happened in that time!

Snatching up his compass, again he studied the needle.

Tokyo! Tokyo was north east!

His head shot up as he though of the motorcycle was parked in the lot out front.

He knew not how far the tank of gas would take him.

He would travel the rest of the way by air or foot if need be.

Flying to his feet, he turned to flee the house.

Only to find someone standing behind him.

Instinct took over as he flew backwards through the air. Haku redirected, whipped into a flip like a cracking whip. He bounced like a coiled spring as his feet hit the ground so firmly the room shook. At once Hanoane in hand as he advanced with a furious wind at his back. It took him a second to see the cat as the buzzing bulb overhead swung wildly. Her red eyes were dilated to the point that they became mirrors. With every hair on her body standing at attention Okesa shrank waving her hands.

_"Neh, neh, neh!"_ She hissed, "Simmer down, neh, kitten!"

He stared at her a numb moment as the urge to fight still sang in his blood.

As she crept forward cagily she glanced at the blade in his hand.

"Put t'sword 'way, neh kitten?"

Haku stared at it for a moment before realizing it was in his hand.

Hastily he returned it to the shadows at his hip.

Then he appealed to her for something, anything to make sense of what happened.

"Chihiro is gone, Okesa! Why is she gone!"

Okesa shrank from his vehemence before gesturing at the ceiling.

"Onsen say she's got Suzume 'n' t'spider wit' 'er!"

Haku was stunned and dismayed.

_ "Spider!" _

He tried to push by the cat only to have her tackle him.

His back bounced off the floor and the wind left his lungs as she sat on his chest.

She was a tiny creature, and yet he could not lift her even as he struggled.

"Get off, Okesa!" Haku thundered furiously, _"Get off at once!"_

She flattened her ears and crossed her arms, firmly anchoring him in place even as his wind ripped at her.

"Why! So y'cun go rocketin' off in t'space like ah bat outta hell! Wotcha gonna do, neh? Nothin', tha's wot! Y'gotta stay put!"

Haku blinked, shrinking as she spit the words in his face.

"But Chihiro!"

"Chihiro's gonna be fine, kitten! She's got Suzume, neh? Wot 'bout Satako, neh? Y'gonna leave 'er? Wot 'bout _all_ yer kids, neh? Y'gonna leave 'em t'go chasin' shadows!"

Haku stared at her mutely working his mouth.

"She's gonna come back, kitten! This's 'er _home!_ _Y'er_ here, ain'tcha?"

Okesa tapped on his nose as she lashed her bushy tail.

Looking over her shoulder she made a moue down the hall.

"Help me git t'rock outta t'hall for t'kids see an' pitch 'nother fit, neh? Don' wanna scare t'kid!"

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Down the path and through the open gate, Chihiro ran blindly.

She came up short on the stone flag stones of the dark garden.

The fat yellow moon hung over the top gable of the primary shrine complex.

Inside flickering blue light writhed against the opaque paper in the sliding door.

It spilled through a crack.

Cascading across the dark veranda making the polished wood look like water.

Light ringed the hedges and trees in bright sharp edges.

Glinting off the black reflecting pool to her right.

The water looked unfathomable it was so very black.

She shied with a fearful gasp as the blue light abruptly extinguished. Feeling like an intruder, the skin between her shoulder blades crawled uncomfortably as Chihiro picked her way through the dark. Clumsily she kicked off her spider silk zori, clambering up onto the veranda. The wood steps creaked and snapped, making her cringe and fluster as she crept through the crack in the slider, hesitating on the edge of the tatami as she tried to see in the dark.

Slowly her eyes adjusted as she stared up at the ceiling.

Again the smooth wood of the coffered ceiling gleamed as if wet, brimming with shadows as if each recessed square held an unfathomable pool like the pond out back. Dark lanterns hung in neat rows from the top edges of the adjacent walls as if waiting to pass under the wide but short indigo curtain hanging down to partition the ceiling of the last quarter of the room. A massive rice rope ran the length of its top hem. It was festooned with folded lengths of paper and thin tassels of more rice rope. Blue silk banners hung like waterfalls on the far wall, fading away to pure white at the floor. Chihiro blinked because she could smell the sweet green scent of the freshly cut sasaki leaves placed in two wall sconces decorated with red ribbon tassels.

A short sword like the one tucked into her obi hung from the right.

A wreath of rice rope hung from the left.

Between them loomed an enormous altar at once austere and gorgeous.

The beautiful grain of the wood and the greened bronze fastenings oozed time.

It leaned out of the dark impossibly large for the medium sized room.

On the shelf at the foot of the closed doors was a massive mirror.

Her ears pricked as in the distance she could hear women arguing heatedly. They were speaking in what sounded like Russian. Chihiro gasped, knocking back against the door frame as another slider to the left snicked open. In peered an older woman with a tight face to match the tight bun perched atop her head like a pin-cushion. Her straw-colored hair was shot with silver and her brown eyes were fierce behind gold rimmed glasses. She frowned at shrewishly as Kazue limped into the room and shut the slider in her face. The mirrors surface winked like an eye as sparks hissed in the thick shadows. It reflected Kazue's face as it emerged from the dark like a ghost. Illuminated by flickering lick of yellow fire, her gray eyes glittered eerily. She knelt in front of the altar to light the red floor lanterns positioned to its right and left like guards.

The buttery mortal light felt warm on Chihiro's face.

Slowly it filled the room, making it feel less imposing.

Chihiro blinked; gawking at the big taiko drum to her left she hadn't seen. Two more drums medium and small stood at its front and back. To their right, in the dead center of the shrine, Aki was flattened to the floor. Again she startled against the door frame, making the slider rattle as movement flashed in her peripheral vision. It was Suzume. The fox was lurking in the far right corner of the room opposite her. Though his face was guarded his troubled gold eyes never left the fox woman. Aki's folded hands were flat on the ground pillowing her forehead. She was vehemently muttering hurried words. It took Chihiro a second to realize she was praying. Sharply Chihiro looked back to the shrine woman as she bowed on the floor in front of the altar.

"H-how d'you know my name!"

Not pausing for a second Kazue bowed again, pressing her face to the floor.

Finally she sat back on her heels only to close her eyes as if meditating.

As Chihiro opened her mouth to ask again Kazue answered mildly.

"You are famous, dear. Your picture has been on TV many times."

Chihiro blinked only to frown irritably.

Was that sarcasm!

"My picture doesn't show me with white hair. Because I'm not talking about that name," she floundered, "I'm talking about my _other_ name."

"The one Yubaba gave you? I've read your book, dear."

Again with the dear!

The diminutive was seriously pissing Chihiro off!

Chewing on anger, she struggled to keep her temper.

"Look, I'm really grateful for the fact that you helped us out back there, but do you want to tell me what's going on? I'm not stupid, okay? I'm further into all of this than you can _possibly_ imagine!"

The woman's gaze was frosty as finally she glanced back.

It blew right through her like a gale before it turned aside.

"No. You're not stupid, just extremely immature. But your tutelar (2) seems happy enough to make up for that. That can be dangerous, dear; especially when the hold you have over him is so tenuous. Be careful not to let him run wild."

Chihiro glanced at Suzume as he loosed a low growl.

"I have cut my ties, fujo!"

She snorted, glancing at him askance.

"The why does she hold you still, O-kami-sama?"

Suzume's face went black with fury as he looked away. But he didn't bark or snarl in return. Whatever Kazue said must've hit home because he refused to look at either of them, turning his back in a huff. Thoroughly confused, Chihiro wheeled her attention to Kazue. Again as she opened her mouth to speak the woman cut her off. Here the shrine woman grew annoyed.

"Did you really think you were the only one? What a terribly conceited idea. You would think your teacher wouldn't have coddled you so. I would at least have taught you better manners."

Stunned and furious, Chihiro could only stare.

Several things snapped into place as she glared at the woman's back.

Mrs. Nikkou, after all, had a bow and arrow just like Kazue's.

She was way nicer than this lady though.

Thinking about the sunny old woman threw a bucket of water on her anger.

The grief was as automatic as it was problematic.

Chihiro hugged her chest as she fought to remain calm.

Dropping her eyes, she studied her dirty feet.

"My teacher's dead."

Chihiro pronounced that fact quietly for Suzume's sake.

She was surprised by how calm she was as she continued to explain.

"Sorry if I'm not following whatever the etiquette is expected in these situations. Sorry if I don't measure up to your standards. I wasn't born into _this_. I didn't choose this either. It chose me. My parent's are atheists so I'm kinda flying by the seat of my pants through all of this religious stuff. I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I really don't have a clue what I'm doing most of the time because I've only been awake for about six months. _A lot_ has happened in those six months."

Kazue opened her eyes only to blink.

Chihiro fidgeted awkwardly in the long silence that followed.

The shrine woman sounded shocked when she next spoke.

Her deep voice was a bit hoarse.

"I see. That explains a great many things."

Here Chihiro hesitated, not sure what she was asking.

"What did you mean when you said you'd seen me?"

Still seated, Kazue slowly turned in place only to frown up at her as if worried.

"It is not fitting to speak ill of the dead. But you leave me wondering if in your time together your teacher told you anything at all?"

Solemnly she put a finger between her eyes, gazing at her mysteriously.

"I saw you the same way I saw him."

Chihiro blinked as the bell in her heart rang resoundingly.

"H-him?"

With slow graceful movements Kazue motioned toward the ruined restaurant.

"The dragon that lived here for a short while. I knew him for what he was the moment I saw him. I also knew what his coming would mean for the others I had gathered here."

"Others!" Chihiro squeaked.

Kazue nodded slowly as her lips drew into a grave line.

"My _special_ students."

Chihiro jolted as she realized Kazue was talking about Haku's friends.

It took her a second to remember how to speak.

She was so stunned she didn't know what to say.

_"You knew!_ _You knew what was going to happen!"_

"No. And that is our curse."

Standing with great difficulty, pain twisted Kazue's face.

"We can only know some things. No matter how hard we try, even if you bring many of us together in one place, we can never know something completely."

Her pale eyes grew haunted as she stared away at nothing.

Here she whispered beneath her breath as if terribly afraid.

"I saw them die; my _special_ students. But I knew if I was able to make him stay he would save them."

Her sharpness faded as she nervously swept a hand over her perfect hair.

"I have seen many things and _none_ of them make sense in the moment. Often they only make sense when it's too late. But sometimes when the Gods of fate are with us we do have a chance to change things for the better."

Here she gazed down at Aki, growing thin with worry.

"This is another of our gifts. Watch closely. Perhaps you'll learn something."

Kazue limped around to clap her hands twice before bowing to the altar. Then she leaned forward to open the doors behind the mirror. It was just a crack; just enough for the chill of magic to breath through the room. The scar on her thigh tingled unnervingly. Hugging her stomach, Chihiro shivered as an eerie charge gathered in the air. It crackled like impending lightning as Kazue picked up a wand capped by a cascading shower of pale white paper (2). Giving it a flick the papers rustled and hissed.

Chihiro flinched at the sound. So did Aki and Suzume.

It touched like an electric shock!

"W-what are you doing, fujo!"

Suzume barked as he whirled, looking on in apprehension.

The shrine woman's eyes, however, never left the fox woman.

"Peace, O-kami-sama. I will not hurt her."

Again Kazue flicked her wand over Aki's head, looking on cautiously.

Chihiro's insides shivered and scrambled as it flicked back and forth.

"I have seen this one just as I saw you, O-kami-sama. She knows something very important but her mind is almost lost. I will help her focus."

The shrine woman's steely eyes went sharp as her attention grew intense.

Faster and faster it swished back and forth.

Aki twitched and sighed as she swayed from side to side beneath the wand.

Until finally Kazue whipped the wand high over her head.

In the same moment she stomped her foot and loosed a stunning shout.

The hollow floor vibrated like a drum, making the entire room shake.

With an ecstatic gasp Aki lurched back onto her heels.

Her muttering silenced as her gold eyes locked onto the mirror behind Kazue.

Panting quietly, Kazue slowly limped to the side and lowered the wand.

Bent with effort, she spoke gently to the fox woman as if she was a child.

"Aki, dear; will you tell me what you see?"

The fox woman's face twisted with terror as she shrank from the mirror.

_"F-fire!_ _Mother, I see fire!"_

Bells rang, sweet and calming. Kazue produced a cluster of gold bells on a small stick decorated with sumptuous gold and red fabric (3). Chihiro frowned as she recognized the thing. She'd seen Mrs. Nikkou with something similar at some point in time. Holding the padded handle Kazue jostled them carefully, lulling the fox woman with the sound. Aki's face went slack as her eyelids drooped.

"There is no fire, Aki, dear. Don't worry. Everything is fine."

Again the shrine woman flicked her wand, rustling the streamers ever so slightly.

"Tell me about the train, Aki. What did you see?"

"Trains?"

Aki's attention pricked as she lifted her head.

"I saw the ghost train go through Shitamachi from Uguisudani."

Sucking in a breath, Chihiro held it, falling silent as she hung on every word.

Because premonition was building, she could feel it humming in her veins.

Something important was about to happen.

The anticipation was _killing!_

Aki blinked as the clouds in her eyes cleared.

"There were kami on the train… Not humans, but kami."

Again Kazue began to flick her wand like a long-winded metronome.

Creeping forward a step, she was almost leaning over the fox woman now.

"Where were they going, Aki dear?"

Aki pointed dreamily.

Chihiro had no idea what direction it was.

"They took the Nakasendō way (4)."

All too soon horror crept into Aki's eyes as she fought the thrall of the mirror.

"I saw them, mother! _I saw the spiders on the train!"_

Chihiro stood bolt upright as the stupid bell in her chest rang till her bones rattled.

Again Kazue soothed her with bells, staring at the fox woman in pity.

"Don't worry, dear Aki. There are no spiders here."

Chihiro cringed from the lie.

There was a spider right outside and Kazue knew it!

_"Enough!" _

Suzume barked, startling the shrine woman into dropping her wand. Kazue recoiled, knocking into the wall with a gasp as the sliding doors ripped open. Chihiro scrambled aside, narrowly missing being smashed by one as it whizzed by. Suzume plucked Aki from the ground, ushering her out onto the flag stones of the dark. Chihiro scrambled to follow only to come up short on the edge of the veranda.

She watched in dismay as Aki stared at Suzume uncomprehending.

Still lost in the fog, the fox woman vacillated before returning to him uncertainly.

He growled angrily, giving her a solid push away from the shrine.

"No! Go, fox child! I will not see you used any further!"

From her vantage point Chihiro caught sight of the God children as they hesitated at the back gate. Gohan was still holding his trashcan shield as Sumirei hissed beneath her breath, waving so vigorously her clattering bracelets gave them away.

"_Psst!_ Aki! Over here, Aki!"

Again the clouds in the fox woman's eyes cleared as she saw the children. She sprinted to the gate only to come up short even as the rat and badger pulled and hauled on her arms. Throwing a forlorn glance over her shoulder Aki stared for a long moment at Suzume. Her gold eyes burned like foxfires in the dark as she bobbed her head.

"Goodbye, brother mine."

Then she was gone, herding the God children into shadows.

Chihiro's inside tightened with worry as Suzume took a step after her.

He was trembling visibly.

"Peace, O-kami-sama. The Uenokami will look after her as she looks after them. I will make sure all are fed well so they may stay in this world."

Chihiro shrank from Kazue as she limped out onto the veranda leaning heavily on a delicate mahogany cane. Suzume tightened his hands into fists at his side, still looking after the fox woman as he spat hoarse distraught words.

"How can I possibly be at peace knowing she is in such a _terrible_ place as this!"

"There are worse places, O-kami-sama."

Kazue returned mildly.

"Besides, they say a child's love can heal all wounds."

Chihiro cringed in horror because that was _not_ what the fox needed to hear!

Kazue sighed gustily as Suzume fled.

"This is exactly what I mean when I say he's running wild."

"He's a _person_ not a pet!" Chihiro bit back furiously.

Scrambled down the veranda steps still wringing Suzume's flute she shoved her feet into the spider silk zori.

"He's not a person, dear."

Something in Kazue's voice brought her up short.

Looking up at the shrine she found the strange woman staring down at her grimly.

She looked sorry; really, really sorry.

"He's a channel, just like that flute. The same can be said for you and I, dear. That is why we have been called. We are all a means to an end. We are tools to be used in service of protecting human life."

Stunned and outraged, Chihiro stared at the woman for a blank moment.

She wasn't sure she understood what Kazue was saying.

If she did understand then she didn't agree at all.

In fact, Chihiro was quite sure she didn't agree.

Tools were expendable.

Any life, kami or human, wasn't.

_"Bullshit!"_ She swore vehemently.

Whirling away Chihiro forgot the woman and sprinted after Suzume.

She didn't have to go far. Beyond the back gate she found him stalking in aggravated circles at the heart of the forest of fox statues as if unsure of where to go. Again her throat closed with painful grief as she watched him pace like a trapped animal. As she reached out to stop him he shrank from her touch, coming up short and turning his back as he threw out a warning hand. Chihiro swallowed with difficulty. She knew better than to say anything. Slowly circling, she came to stand at his feet without looking.

With her index finger she caught the first tear to roll down her cheek.

Reaching up she gently smoothed this over his split lip.

The fox gasped, catching her wrist in his cold hand. But his grip was gentle. As his hand began to shake she looked up at him. Though his lip wasn't split anymore he was staring at her with a haunted expression. At a loss for what to do she offered him his flute. He took it mutely, secreting it away into the front fold of his kimono. Then he was staring at her again. One more his face broke on the strength of the despair smoldering in his hollow gold eyes. As he gritted his sharp, sharp teeth pain bent him over her until he crumbled into her arms. Chihiro flinched as her knees knocked against the stone painfully. He was really heavy!

"Have you _any_ idea how long it has been since I have seen another _kitsune! _Never in a thousand years did I think to be called _brother_ again!"

Suzume choked on the words in a miserable hush.

Stunned, Chihiro didn't know what to say.

She thought he'd be happy about that.

Wasn't that a good thing?

"I truly though I was the last fox! I though my children would be the last in all of Yamato, not just Izu! But now that I see what this _world_ has made of us! Now that I see what _we_ have made of each other! I worry not for just the foxes. I worry for all kami for I fear there is no hope for _any_ of us!"

She held him as he all but curled up in her lap as he had earlier that morning.

At a loss for what to so she smoothed his hair, trying not to piss him off by petting him.

"Please, Chihiro!"

Her insides sang with unhappiness as he begged her quietly.

"Please, let us go home now! _I have seen enough!"_

Chihiro had seen enough too; more than enough.

But she'd also found what she came for.

Knowledge was a terrible thing.

It cost dearly.

Chihiro blinked as Kuromi appeared beside them silent as a shadow. She poured wordless gratitude through her eyes as the spider reached for the fox. Suzume didn't resist as Kuromi hauled him up like he didn't weigh a thing. She could've carried him all the way back to Izu without breaking a sweat. Even though she wasn't really helping, Chihiro slung one of his arms over her shoulder just to keep in contact with him. As if asleep on his feet the fox followed in complete silence they climbed the stone steps, leaving the grotto behind. Picking their way through the scorched stone and wood littering the narrow passage they emerged back into the empty avenues of Ueno Park.

For some reason Chihiro turned toward the ruins of the restaurant.

Strange that they should end up here.

They had come full circle.

That felt right for some reason.

Then she saw it; the thing she was looking for.

A door listed against the side of the rubble.

I didn't even have a frame.

That didn't matter.

Pulling the kami in her wake she headed for the door.

Breaking ahead of them she yanked the tile from her obi.

Slapping it onto the surface of the door she turned the knob.

It hauled open at her command like any door.

And her insides rang with relief as the distant smell of sulfur rolled through.

Here, however, she came up short as she caught sight of Haku. He was kneeling in front of the door bowed as if sitting vigil. His head jerked up, revealing his stunned white face from beneath the short fringe of his inky blue black hair. Bright in the shadows, his jade eyes reflected the light like mirrors. A wind soaked with the scent of rain hit her full in the face as he jolted upright. It knocked her off balance as it surged through the doorway. Before she could stumble backwards he caught her by the front of the green kimono and hauled her through. Chihiro squeaked as her feet left the floor. He hoisted her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Before anyone, including her, could object he carried her off in a burst of speed that set her eyes watering.

Dizzy and bewildered, she clung to him as she lost track of up and down.

Floor, wall or ceiling, it didn't matter what she was looking at.

Because they were all home and that's all that mattered.

Haku tipped her around into his arms as she slipped off his shoulder.

A door slammed loudly only to become distant as they shot by.

Her knees buckled as finally her feet touched the ground.

As she slipped downward his arm locked around her waist like a vice.

He pulled her back up, crushing her body against his.

His other hand cradled her neck, fingers tangling in her hair.

They tightened painfully but she didn't care.

She didn't care about anything but the heat of his skin on hers.

She could feel his heart furiously hammering against her stomach.

His quick breath blew hot and fast against her ear.

His burning cheek was slick with sweat as it slid against hers.

The smell of rain soaked her through until she dissolved.

Winding her arms around his neck she burst into tears.

Because all at once she saw again inside her head what she had seen!

She didn't want to see it! _She didn't want to see it!_

She didn't want to see his blood on her hands!

It was redder than red in her mind's eye; thick and viscous between her fingers.

She didn't want to taste it on her lips!

It tasted like cold copper making her want to claw at her tongue.

She didn't want to feel the weight of his lifeless body on her knees!

It was stunningly heavy; impossible to move.

The buzz of flies hummed in her ears; crawling on her skin.

At once she was sick to her stomach trapped inside hell itself.

Ripping away, Chihiro fell. No water this time. No Suzume either. Numbly she felt her head bounce off the floor. A bright explosion of a very different kind bloomed at the peripheries of her vision. At once slow and sluggish, she couldn't hear anything but dull throbbing inside her ears as she fought whatever was pulling at her. She scrambled on hands and knees to the low window sill as the sickness escaped her stomach, pouring up her throat. Pushing open the window she half spilled out.

Her hands sank into the snow piled there as she threw up.

Clinging to the sharp blue tiles she heaved even after her stomach was empty.

Gasping for air and shaking violently, she sat back onto her heels.

But she kept tipping backwards as a loud ringing invaded her ears.

For once it wasn't that stupid, stupid bell.

Up and down got confused again leaving her thoroughly annoyed.

Fed up with everything Chihiro passed out.

* * *

**NOTES:**

(1) A tutelary also called tutelar is a deity or spirit who is a guardian, patron or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture or occupation. Both tutelary and tutelar can be used as either a noun or an adjective. An analogous concept in Christianity is the patron saint, or to a lesser degree guardian angel. One type of tutelary deity is the "genius," the personal deity or daimon of an individual from birth to death.

(2) An Ōnusa (大幣?) or simply nusa (幣?) is a wooden wand used in Shinto rituals. It is decorated with many shide (zig-zagging paper streamers). When the shide are attached to a hexagonal or octagonal staff, it can be also called haraegushi (祓串?). It is waved left and right during purification rituals.

(3) Suzu (鈴?) is a round and hollow Japanese Shinto Bell that contains pellets that sound when agitated. Suzu come in many sizes, ranging from tiny ones on good luck charms (called omamori (お守り?)) to large ones at shrine entrances. At Shinto shrines, large Suzu drape over entrances, as it is said that ringing them calls kami, allowing one to acquire positive power and authority, while repelling evil. Handheld clustered Suzu are used musically at Shinto ceremonies.

(4) The Nakasendō (中山道?), also called the Kisokaidō (木曾街道?),[1] was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces. In addition to Tokyo and Kyoto, the Nakasendō runs through the modern-day prefectures of Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu and Shiga, with a total distance of approximately 534 km (332 mi). Unlike the coastal Tōkaidō, the Nakasendō traveled inland, hence its name, which can be translated as "central mountain route" (as opposed to the Tōkaidō, which roughly meant "eastern sea route"). Because it was such a well-developed road, many famous persons, including the haiku master Matsuo Bashō, traveled the road. Many people preferred traveling along the Nakasendō because it did not require travelers to ford any rivers.


	11. Chapter 11

**HAKU**

His brow ached as his furrowed frown pulled his skin into deep furrows.

Cold sweat beaded on his upper lip.

It trickled down his spine making every inch of his body clammy with worry.

How he hated this room.

Hated the mural at his back; hated the footprints burned into floor and walls.

Hated the doorway that betrayed he and his family.

How he _hated_ that had been forced to pass through it once more!

Still, he could not bring himself to carry her somewhere for fear of her health. She was so very light it terrified him. Gently, so very gently his hands shook, he had laid her out on top the thick quilt as Onsen flustered in the rafters above his head. The house creaked and shuddered because Chihiro was paler than pale. Her face was turned away from him, silver hair plastered to her cheek. A wicked bruise was beginning to swell on her right temple where she had hit her head on the floor. His insides surged and churned in horror as he took in her garments. The obi and tie wound round her waist was made of pure spider silk! So were the sandals on her dirty bruised feet. Just seeing the nubbly cream colored substance brought back horrible memories.

Haku almost flew from the room to wake Natsumi.

The sounds of Chihiro's sobs still disturbed him beyond words. Worse still was the short sword protruding from the gap at the front of her obi. He ground his teeth as the sapphire eyes of the dragons glittered, watching him eerily. He had seen this knife before in the shrine complex in Kumomi. How it had come into Chihiro's possession was beyond him. How Onsen had become flooded with salt water and the second floor full of boulders was also beyond Haku.

Gritting his teeth Haku gingerly eased the scabbard free.

Only to dislodge something else from her obi.

It caught the buzzing electric bulb, flashing light in his eyes.

Haku gasped. His back his the wall as he found himself on his feet across the room. The bulb overhead swung in the wind of his disquiet sending shadows chasing. Heart throbbing in his ears, Haku forced himself to return on shaking legs. From the corners of his eyes he stared askance at Sengen's mirror. It rested on Chihiro's breast right above her heart. Scrambling out of his jacket he caught up the horrid thing, muffling it and the sheathed sword in the thick canvas fabric. These he threw cast across the room with violence. To his chagrin they skittered loudly across the floor as if hissing.

Again his insides went cold as the swinging light made blue glint at her throat.

Haku choked in horror as he found Sengen's jewel around her neck.

His twitching hands hovered inches from it.

But he could not bring himself to touch it thought he wanted it gone!

His hair and clothes billowed in the strength of his dismay.

_ What in the name of the Gods had happened this night! _

"Here."

Haku startled violently, glancing up at Kuromi as she offered a glass of water. In another pair of hands she held out a wash cloth and bowl of water. Seeing the spider dimmed his sight and set his insides raging. At once her long hair whipped in the wind of his fury as he stabbed a finger at the door.

"Get out!" Haku commanded under his breath.

The spider's red eyes darted to Chihiro's face as she stirred.

As Haku's attention wheeled to her Kuromi retreated.

But not before depositing the water, bowl, and towel beside him.

"Haku?" Chihiro murmured faintly, worming her hand against the blanket.

At once he caught it up, earnestly pressing her fingers to his lips.

"Here, dear one. I am here."

She winced, bringing her other hand to her forehead. Dunking the cloth in the bowl, he found the water ice cold. Wring it out he gently wiped it over her face before carefully covering the swelling knot at her temple. Chihiro's eyes fluttered as he did.

"C-can I have some water?"

Silently praising the spider he had just cursed, Haku eased Chihiro up off the futon and brought the glass to her lips. She drank a few sips with a grimace before turning in his arms to pillow her head I the crook of his elbow. His heart squeezed to the point of pain as one of her arms wrapped around his side, closing over the flannel shirt Amano had gifted him. Pulling her closer he bent to rest his lips on the crown of her head, breathing in the smell of her hair with each shaking breath.

As Haku held her his throat closed in agony.

A burn blurred his eyes.

And he began to shake; because he had been so very frightened.

He was still frightened; terrified by the unknown of all that had happened.

"Haku," She murmured distantly, "What is the Nakasendō way?"

He blinked as the familiar name pulled him into another place and time.

It kindled old memories he had nearly forgotten.

How she had come across such a thing he did not know.

Anxious to please her, he quickly offered the knowledge.

"Long ago there were only five roads in all of Yamato. These connected Heian Kyo with Edo and everything in between. After humans ceased to use these roads they returned to the Gods. I heard Yubaba once say that is why she chose to build her bath house in the location she did. It is right on one of these five routes: the Nakasendō way."

Chihiro went bolt still in his arms.

Her hands tightened on his shirt until they were fists.

Trying to offer her comfort Haku stroked her face only to hiss, snatching back his hand from a cold stabbing sting. Again he recoiled, sitting back hard clutching his hand, forced to rudely drop her on the futon as his fingers brushed the jewel at her throat. She stared at him in utter confusion as she sprawled on the edge, reaching for him only to shrink as he all but shouted in a voice that cracked and pitch up on the peak of terror.

"Take _that_ off! Please, Chihiro, _take that off!_"

It took her a second to understand as he pointed madly at her throat. Hauling the jewel over her head she threw it aside, holding up her empty hand as proof. Still he pointed, loosing all sense of propriety in the grip of fear.

"And the s-spider silk! I cannot abide by the touch of it!"

Hastily she ripped at the obi and its tie, tossing the wide width of fabric and her sandals once she had freed herself from their grip. Kubi's green kimono parted, falling open as she was reaching for him once more, desperately appealing to him with hands and stricken eyes as if she could not speak. Forgetting the numb ache in his hand Haku spilled forward into her arms. Together they knocked back onto the futon; tangling their limbs in their haste to be closer. Still, she did not speak. Instead she answered with her mouth in another way.

Onsen fled the room in surprise.

And the electric light winked out leaving only the moon spilling in the window.

Haku's insides sang with exquisite sensation as she caught his lips with hers. Slow and warm and soft; his head spun as her kiss set him floating. At once the heat she inspired in him earlier ignited. It surged through his veins to smolder deep at the center of his body. Obediently Haku rolled onto his back as she pushed on his chest, ardently pursued him backwards into the pillows. As her pinned him there with the warm delicious weight of her body he surrendered the tears he had been withholding. The agony and the rapture at war inside the frail cage of his body welled through his eyes. Oh, terrible haunting human emotion! These mercurial fleeting things set him adrift; they left him utterly vulnerable and at her command.

He would have obliged her with anything in that moment.

This body; this heart; his very breath; all were hers.

Her hot breath broke on his face, the soft curtain of her hair ticking as it fell around them. Lifting his chin he let her take his tears. They soaked Chihiro's lips as she seized his face, kissing his eyes, the tip of his nose, and his cheeks. She tasted of salt as she returned for his lips. Chihiro's breath caught in her throat as she gasped against his mouth, arching against him and sending a thrill of electric anticipation seizing his middle. Because his hands had found their way inside her garment; they skated up and down the soft skin of her back, stroking between her shoulder blades. Opening his eyes Haku gazed up at her adoringly; watched her lovely eyes flutter as she tossed her head, twitching and sighing with every stroke of his fingers. Fraught and occupied by other sensations, she closed her hands on the front of his shirt, pulling as she rocked back and worth. Absently her fumbled with the buttons, sending him shying with a sharp intake of breath at the sheer intensity of the sensation her cold fingers traced against his skin.

Her fingers ghosted across the scars on his stomach were the Forgotten cut him.

In the same moment his hand roved across the hand-shaped burn on her thigh.

They flinched in unison, eyes flying open as their locked. Her brow knotted as she turned her disturbed gaze to his newest scars. So many things passed wordlessly through her gaze as she stared at him only to bite her lip as a muscled jumped in the back of her jaw. Terrible, wonderful, difficult things! Haku's insides cooled as her pale eyes turned distant again. But the adoration in her gaze; the vehement compassion; the horror and the worry; oh, it could have turned him to dust!

He shivered as carefully she eased the fabric of his shirt past the points of his shoulders, freeing him from the garment entirely, leaving it beneath them. With trembling hands she ran her fingers back up his bare arms to trace each of the spider bites with her fingers. Swallowing with difficulty as the pinch of agony won over desire to twinge in his throat, Haku closed his eyes and turned his face into the pillows, letting her look at him, letting her touch him even as he drew in a sharp beleaguered breath as the tips of her fingers skated down the side of his neck where the bites were worst.

How frightful it was to be so very exposed.

But just as powerful as the urge to hide was his desire to be known by her.

Though it was an idiot thought, Haku feared she might find him ugly. Eyes still closed, wordlessly he begged her to prove him wrong. Gently he took his hands from the tops of her thighs to catch her elbows, urging her to return. Breathing a shuddering breath he shivered as the soft burning press of her chest slide across his. His eyes fluttered open as she shifted her weight to the side. Her hair spilled across his chest and his cheek knocked against the silver crown of her head as Chihiro lowered her lips to kiss the marks on his neck.

Arching back against the futon he gasped as her mouth grazed the curve of his shoulder. Locking his arm around her waist he clung to her as she moved lower, tracing her lips across the flat plane of his pectoral before closing over the hard point she uncovered there. Snatching back his hands Haku cried out as he seized the edges of the futon, clutching the thick material in his fists as explosions of pleasure erupted like light behind his clenched eyelids. Again he choked on a shout as her lips went rouge, whispering down the hard wall of his stomach. Such a thrill of desire surged through his insides as her hands found the belt and the button of his pants.

Here Chihiro began to struggle as she had before.

She had no luck with buttons.

Giggling in frustration she tugged and pulled on the fastener only to be thwarted.

Sitting up against her Haku caught her laughter with his lips. She forgot the button even as he pulled it loose, trembling in his hands slide up her sides, drawing together where his scale still hung on a cord between her small lovely breasts, teasing past the soft swells only to part the gaping kimono. The silk fabric slid off her shoulders, leaving her naked and shivering beside him. Leaning into her Haku caught her lips, kissing her over and over while holding her in the circle of his arms and bowing her backwards. She followed gladly as gently he eased her back onto the futon, continuing to caress her skin with his mouth, nipping at her collar bone only to earn himself a playful slap on the back of his head as she squealed and giggled.

He left her for a moment only to slip out of his pants. Then he joined her under the thick quilted covers as she held them up. This she pulled over their heads, burrowing into him, molding herself into the crooks and bends of his body as he wrapped himself around her and tucked her head under his chin. They heaved a communal sigh as their warmth mingled, trapped beneath the heavy quilt. Again and again he kissed the crown of her head, stroking her hair and shoulder as Chihiro's hot breath broke against the skin of his chest until goose bumps broke out over his flesh. He could have been content just with the slide of her bare skin against his. Just to feel the gentle thud of her heart against the wall of his chest; to feel her breath soft and slow against his skin. This was more than enough.

Rest, however, did not find them.

Chihiro went rigid beside him as her arms tightened.

He could hear the thoughts tumbling around inside her head.

How he hated himself for breaking the silence.

Intuitively Haku knew something terrible had happened.

"Where did you go, dear one?"

He breathed desolately against crown of her head, at once furious and relieved.

"Uguisudani Station. And then Ueno Park."

She whispered back in a rush as if she could not bear to withhold it any longer.

Haku jolted as the covered fluttered and lifted in a blast of frozen air. He struggled with that for a long moment for it was too great to absorb all at once. Horror made him sick and cold to the core of his bones. Worse was the furious outrage that flooded in its wake. He tried not to be angry. He did not want to be angry, not holding her so close to him. All the same, it was too much, and the terrible emotion drove a wedge between them.

Taking back his arms he rolled away.

Throwing back the covers Haku perched on the edges of the futon.

He almost got up and fled the room.

But he could not bring himself to leave her.

"H-Haku!"

He shrugged away from her touch as she put her hands on his shoulders.

"Why did you leave me _again_? Why did you not take me with you?"

He choked through his gritted teeth.

She hushed back just as desolate.

"There wasn't time."

Haku despised himself for being so petty.

Still, the resentful words spilled from his lips against his will.

"There was time enough for you to seek _his_ attendance!"

Jealousy burned in his veins as he remembered the blue jewel around her throat.

He could not resist the horrible doubts it planted like poison in his heart.

Because beneath the covetous emotion lurked terrible, terrible fear.

Fear that his rival still held sway over her.

Hidé was a God now. Haku was not.

"That's not what happened, Haku, and you know it!"

Chihiro hissed beneath her breath; more than angry now.

Again he flinched as her hands returned.

They burned against his skin.

Bowing his face into his hands Haku shivered violently.

"No, Chihiro; I do not know anything and that _terrifies_ me, dear one! It frightens me so much I cannot _bear_ it! I returned home to find our home flooded with salt water and beaten with stones and you gone without a word! Gone so far my compass swung so slowly I feared you had gone into the spirit world and that I would _never_ find you again!"

He clutched her hands as she folded her arms around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Haku!" She choked beneath her breath in thin panic, "I didn't know what else to do! It all happened so fast!"

The words poured from him in a hoarse rush as he scrambled to explain.

"I am sorry also, Chihiro. I do not intend to be cruel or jealous, dear one. It is just that I _do not_ know how to feel what I am feeling now!"

All at once he was begging.

"Please, dear one…! You cannot leave me as you did this night ever again…! Give me a word! Give me a sign of some kind because when you go my _entire_ world goes with you!"

He did not resist as she pulled him backwards, towing him under the covers and into her arms. He shivered violently once more but not from cold as he pillowed his head above her breast. Her heart was racing inside her chest as she tightened her arms around him, whispering against his forehead as if desperate to please him.

"I promise! I promise, okay?"

But she could not hide the anxiety in her voice.

It cut him deeply.

Eyes staring into the dark beneath the covers Haku found her face with his hand.

His fingers froze on her cheeks as they found more tears.

"What is it, Chihiro?"

He did not expect her heated reply.

"I'm an idiot, that's what's wrong! I looked into that _stupid fucking mirror!_"

Haku went perfectly still as she snuffled loudly, dashing a hand at her face as she angrily wiped away the tears he had found there. As loathe as he was to speak, even as premonition cautioned him to stay silent, Haku could not let this revelation remain unquestioned. He regretted the words even as he whispered them.

"W-what did you see, Chihiro?"

_ "A whole bunch of shit that didn't make any sense!"_

Haku flinched as she all but shouted in his ear.

Heaving a gusty sigh she continued in a rush at a less painful decibel.

"I just wanted to see if Lin and Kiri were alive! That's all I wanted! Sengen got _supremely_ pissed at me for looking. I _knew_ she would but I looked all the same! Hidé intervened otherwise she probably would've drowned me. He gave me all that stuff. I don't know what he was talking about but he said it would even things out. But then I did manage to find something in the mess that Sengen dumped inside my head. I saw the shrine in Ueno Park. I saw a fox in red armor with a gold wheel painted on it in the shrine next to the restaurant."

Stunned, trying to take all of this in, Haku blinked and blinked some more

"Aki?"

Chihiro shifted, sitting up on her elbow.

Tucking her hair behind her ear as she looked down at him in surprise.

"You _know_ her?"

He nodded shakily, wilting in wild relief knowing the half-fox was alive.

"She is a soldier from Shitamachi. I am glad to hear she lives."

Chihiro's frown deepened as she gritted her teeth, reluctant to tell what came next.

"Um… She's alive but she kinda went nuts."

Haku's mouth fell open as shocked dismay knocked him senseless.

"W-what?"

Chihiro settled back onto the futon, staring up at the dark ceiling.

Again her brows drew together as her pale eyes went distant.

"Gohan said she lost it because of what happened in the caverns."

She flinched as he sat up over her making a wind gust through the room.

"You have seen the children!"

Chihiro blinked, nodding solemnly and studying his face.

"The kami kids are living in at the Gojo Tenjin shrine. They're taking care of Aki. Kazue said she'd keep them fed so they could stay there."

Again he rocked with surprise.

"Kazue-sensei?"

She cringed as more wind gusted around, hiding under her hands.

"N-not so windy, okay!"

Chihiro's face fell as she stared as if shaken by her next revelation.

"She said she always knew what you were and that's why she let you stay."

In a flash Haku remembered the way Kazue-san had looked at him that first day.

His insides chilled at the memory.

Her pale eyes saw far too much.

"Why?" He hushed in utter confusion.

Chihiro continued, sounding just as confused.

"She said it was because you'd take care of her _special _students some day."

Here Chihiro continued quickly, grabbing his hands.

Again premonition gathered over Haku's head.

Something important was about to happen and he knew not what.

Holding his breath he listed carefully to everything she revealed lest he miss it.

"Kazue's like Mrs. Nikkou. She's the one that keeps the shrine next door to _Le Pichet_. She did something to Aki with this paper-wand-thingy to make her not so crazy for a little bit. Aki said she saw a ghost train go through Shitamachi! She said she saw spiders on it! I think Lin and Kiri are on that train, Haku! Aki said the train took the Nakasendō way!"

At once he was staring away, looking west without realizing it.

He hardly heard Chihiro as she continued to speak in earnest.

"Do you remember those weird trains at Yubaba's bath house, Haku?"

Intuition flooded at his back, propelling his thoughts back into the past.

Yes. Haku remembered them well.

Closing his eyes already he could hear the distant clicky-clack of wheels on rails.

"I always wondered were they came from. I think I know where now!"

He hardly heard Chihiro as she continued in an impassioned rush.

"My mom called me this morning. She wants us to come home tomorrow; just for a little bit. Just so we can spend New Years Day together. It can't be a coincidence!"

Already his thoughts were racing to the west.

To the red gate and the tunnel that led to the clock tower.

His insides scrambled with disquiet as he remembered his past impassioned words.

He had vowed never to return to the Clock Tower Town.

It appeared fate was keen to make him a liar.

Blinking rapidly, Haku realized Chihiro had fallen silent. Glancing down, he found she had turned her face away. Moonlight spilled across her pillow, catching strands of her silver hair and illuminating pale eyes. They were stricken with horror; so very, very far again terror surged in his chest. He could barely speak for the strength of it. It felt as if already she was gone from their bed. Gone to the place she was seeing that he could not follow her. The thought of loosing her again pushed him to the edge of madness.

"What is it, dear one? _Tell me what is wrong!"_

Haku begged in a weak whisper as again his throat closed, robbing him of further words of supplication. All at once she was looking at him rather than through him. Her face tightened with lines of age and worry that _did_ _not_ suit her! Desperate to make them go away, desperate keep her with him, he stroked a gentle hand over her face. She fled the touch, rolling against him, burrowing against his chest, hiding her face between the covers and his skin as he settled beside her. At a loss Haku tightened his arms around her as she began to shake violently.

"I… I think I saw you in the mirror...!"

His insides seized with misery as she uttered the words in a quaking sob.

"I think I saw you! _You were dead!"_

Ah. So that was it.

Haku was surprised the calm that found him in that moment.

Quietly it flowed through him like a warm breeze that left him still and centered.

But he had been foretold his death too many times now to be shocked.

If anything it was a relief to know it was not something new to content with.

All he had left was to offer the truth.

He could not think of any other way to comfort her.

"When first I lost you, Chihiro, I journeyed with Okesa to see an oracle in the God city beneath Asakusa thinking to learn some way to break Sengen's curse. I did not find what it was I sought. Instead I was given an ill omen. The horrid creature there told me I am to die at the hands of Garuda."

Chihiro started violently, surfacing to glare with a tear streaked face.

"Who is Garuda!"

She whispered furiously as if ready to go and kill him herself.

It was a terrible thing to inspire a smile.

All the same his lips twitched

"Garuda is dead, Chihiro. And all of this is nonsense."

He planted a kiss on her forehead, settling beside her suddenly exhausted.

Again he was stroking her hair, kissing and kissing again the crown of her head.

"Do not put your faith in prophesy, dear one. The Gods of fate are far too fickle to be pinned down by such flimsy promises."

Still she was struggling, rattling with all kinds of dark and terrible thoughts.

"But I saw…!"

"Enough, Chihiro," Haku soothed as he put a finger on her lips, "Enough."

As he took back his hand she opened her mouth to speak.

There would be no rest for either of them. Not yet.

And it was his turn to answer her without words.

Haku silenced her with a kiss, pinning her there with the weight of his body as his hands surged into her hair. He could taste the salt of her tears as he claimed her mouth, silencing whatever thoughts still troubled her, replacing them with the wordless conversation they had begun earlier. The persuasion of the burning heat of his skin on hers was catching. She surged against him, hooking one of her legs round his waist as the other stroked the back of his thigh with her clutching toes. He shuddered convulsively, dropping his head onto her shoulder with a chocked sigh as she raked her nails up the bare skin of his back.

Clutching the sheets in his hands Haku arched as the sensation bent him backwards, making him rock his hips against her suggestively. Sweat slide between them, making the wall of his chest glide against the hard tracing touch of her small sweet breasts. One of these he found with his mouth. Chihiro drew in a sharp breath clutching his head as he swirled and circled his tongue. All the while he grinned, thinking of peaches. Breathing hard and fast against his neck as he gently positioned himself between the soft skin of her thighs, Chihiro tangled her hands against his shoulders as if unsure what to do with them. Anticipating what they were practicing with every evocative move Chihiro followed the slow swaying of his body against hers. As he gazed at her through the dark he found her eyes and teeth clenched against the power of what she was feeling.

Oh, how he wanted her as he looked at her in that moment.

Wanted her with such ardence his very bones ached!

What a rare and exquisite pain.

It was entirely unique; so completely human.

How he wanted the solace of her body.

How he craved this contact that proved wordlessly how much she loved him.

It was in this very room that he had first learned the how of such things.

Chihiro had been the one to show him all the secrets of his human form.

But she had also revealed to him the consequences as well.

Again they were being extremely imprudent.

Last night Chihiro did not care. Now neither did Haku.

Children were a blessing.

He could not think of a better place to raise a child.

Among the Gods and beneath Onsen's roof.

Bracing his hands on the futon, Haku caught her lips with his as slowly; ever so slowly he pressed himself against the heat of that secret mysterious place where they had mingled before. Shaking with restraint as he tried to be gentle, Haku gasped, collapsing against her beneath the shock of glorious singing pleasure as he found his way inside of her. Chihiro cried out as his lips left hers; throwing her arms around his neck as her head tossed back into the pillows. Her ankles knotted at his back, knees clamping against his hips. He buried his face in the hollow of her throat and drove into her in a long unhurried stroke that left them both shaking and struggling to be closer.

But they could go no closer.

The union of their bodies was the limit of his human form.

Forever withheld was what he might have offered Chihiro in the union of his soul.

But he did not mourn the loss of this godly rite.

There were other ways that he could tender these sacred intangibles.

"Speak my name, Chihiro," He entreated in an amorous hush, "My true name, dear one. Let me hear it on your lips so I know that you know the truth of me."

It took her a moment to hear him.

She was so caught up in the conversation of their bodies.

"Kouhaku…"

She spoke his name like a prayer, offering it to him as he kissed her.

"Say it again," he commanded breathlessly, "Speak it aloud so I might never forget the sound of it on your lips."

She gasped as he moved deep inside of her, clinging as she moaned in his ear.

"_Kouhaku!" _

Stars and clouds blew through the inside of his head as he kissed her in that moment; swallowing all the mindless sounds she might have made as he invaded her mouth, soaking her through with the smell and taste of rain until she was drowning beneath him, overwhelmed but the sudden fervor of his driving thrusts. As he had once mastered a river so he mastered her body. Swept away, she trembled in his wake as he showed her the way to pleasure with his every touch. Faster and faster he drove her until in a final moment like a flash of lightning she poured over the edge into seizing fulfillment. As she screamed in ecstasy he chased her in that moment, happily throwing himself over the brink. And he was flying again, soaring through an endless blue sky only to have it swallow him whole as he dissolved into the blinding shivering pleasure

Somehow he found his way back to earth.

Slick with sweat and utterly spent he found her cling to him in the dark.

All he could feel was the furious hammering of her heart.

He threw back the covers to let the air cool their blazing skin.

She rolled into his arms making a pillow out of his bicep.

He folded around her better than any blanket.

His smile curled against her temple.

The whisper of lips tickled her cheek as he planted a kiss there.

Finally, together they found rest.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Yeah, um, so... I'm back. Sorry it took so long. To make up for it here's the first fifth of the third book. Hope that'll hold you tided for a bit. Sorry if there are some really bad spelling or grammatical errors. I'm trying much harder to catch those things before I post. Hope you've enjoyed the new story so far. Let's hope I can keep up the pace.

As always, thanks for reading.

~LadyL


	12. Chapter 12

**LIN**

_Clickity-clack. Clickity-clack._

The sound slowly lulled her awake.

Slowly rocking and jostling her from side to side.

Lin opened her eyes.

Pitch black greeted her.

Her face tightened into confusion as she stared at nothing.

She opened and closed her eyes again just to be sure they were open.

Lin had no recollection of how she'd gotten here.

Then remembering punched her in the chest with a cold unfeeling fist.

Lin vaulted upright only to get tangled in whatever was covering her legs. She dumped onto the filthy carpet as panic coursed through her veins like frozen sludge. Cold sweat broke out across her skin as the unfathomable roar of the massive wheel still bellowed in her ears. The sound set every bone in her body rattling with cold crackling terror. She threw herself away from it as if afraid the memory had the power to crush her. Lin scrambled backwards in the dark until the back of her head knocked against the hollow wood paneling of the wall. Folding up on herself she clung to the window sill with her only hand riding the pitching floor as her vision grayed with explosions of light. On the verge of passing out again Lin struggled not to hyperventilate.

As her head emptied all she could hear was that sound.

_Clickity-clack. Clickity-clack._

Distantly a hoarse hollow whistle sounded.

The chugging rocking rhythm of the room suddenly made sense.

A train! She was on a train!

Lin's senses sharpened as a breeze whistled through from somewhere, betraying the fact that she was moving and quickly too. The air smelled sweet and clean, not at all damp and stale. Distantly she could taste hints of water and green trees. The familiar tang of mountain aromas sent a thrill of anticipation shuddering through her insides. Her only hand tightened on the still as again the floor pitched and rolled. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the dark and she could see the dim outline of the tiny compartment. Twin bench seats lined the walls covered in old velvet that stank of cigar smoke and the rot of age. Lin stood only to knock her head on a rusty luggage rack. Sitting down cursing, she rubbed her head with her only hand. Standing again, she turned to the window and tore back the shredded curtains.

Lin stared stupidly at the solid iron shutters.

They were bolted shut, not even budging an inch as she pried at them.

Whirling around she threw herself at the door. Running her hand over the surface she realized there was no handle! Again she pulled and pried at the edge, bracing her leg on the wall and heaving on the frame until she was shaking with exhaustion. Trapped inside the compartment, Lin circled and circled the tiny cell, panting each ragged breath only to throw herself against the door again with a furious snarl only to bounce off the unyielding iron. Retreating to the farthest corner of her prison Lin hugged her knees and buried her face in the filthy fabric of her sleeve.

All at once she was holding her breath against a scream.

Because her kits were gone!

_Kokoro and Makoto were gone!_

The absence of their warm wiggling bodies left her shaking with agonized terror. Every fiber of her body ached with the need to find them. Rather than fly from the floor to throw herself again and again at the door and the walls she forced herself to listen to the distant _chugga-chugga_. It conjured far away memories of evening air and steamed pork buns. Lin used to associate the sound of trains with freedom. Numbly contemplating the irony of her predicament, Lin turned her mind to coming up with some way to get out of her prison.

Until she heard voices.

"Where d'you think you're goin'?" A woman demanded.

"Apologies, sister. I bring food for the weasel woman."

Another female answered with pretty words at odds with the other's rude accusation. Lin found herself pressed to the door holding her breath so she could listen. Snuffling the air Lin gritted her teeth. She could smell the spiders. She could also smell the eerie stink of death. It sent an electric shudder of revulsion running up her spine.

"Mother said no one was to enter that room!"

The first threw back hotly only to fall silent as the second refuted her.

"Mother said that I should take your place so you could eat as well."

"Really? I'm so hungry I could eat a human!"

"The traitor can cook with mortal fire. Mother commands her to serve us all. As you see there is rice and soup."

The first didn't need anymore convincing.

"Here! Take the keys. I'll be back soon."

Lin blinked rapidly, taking a step back from the door as her thoughts raced. She could feel the vibrations of the first spider leaving as the second approached. Keys jingled loud as thunder in her ears; so did the clatter of china. Lin could smell the aroma of freshly steamed rice and the tangy sour-sweetness of miso soup. But even as her stomach lurched with ferocious hunger Lin turned to stone. At once her pulse was racing; thunder in her ears; staining her thoughts. Seizing the blanket from the ground she fluffed it into a human form. Ripping Umi's knife from her obi Lin clenched the blade between her teeth. Lithe and light, she vaulted up over the doorway bridging the rusted racks. Braced there with her only hand she waited for the spider.

Bloodlust sharpened her sense to a razor's edge as the lock snapped. In shuffled a spider in the guise of a young woman. Lin tightened her teeth on the cold blade in silent hatred as she watched it enter. The spider was carrying a tray of food. Even though her hands were full, more appeared to shut the door behind her. She left the keys in the door! All this Lin watched in silence from her vantage point. But still she waited because the clatter of breaking dishes would attract attention. As the spider set down the tray she turned to gently put one of her hand on the piled blanket.

"Miss Lin?"

It whispered beneath its breath.

But Lin didn't hear; she was trembling with coiled potential.

She could hardly see anything but the red of anticipated blood.

Just as the whistle screamed distantly Lin sprang off the wall.

She hurled herself down at the spider as it whirled.

White-faced with shock in the dark, its mouth became a perfect oh of surprise.

Lin smashed it to the ground with her weight as the car heaved and rocked.

Before it could scream or struggle she drove Umi's dagger deep into its throat.

The point of the knife jarred against the floor as it pinned the spider there.

Seated on its chest Lin fought to hold down the thrashing storm of its many arms.

But even as it choked and wheezed, all too quickly it lapsed to stillness.

Blinking rapidly, its red eyes went pitch black.

Lin recoiled in horror as an eerie thrill coursed between the spider's body to hers. It made the scars on her face and the stump of her missing arm ache with cold. As her heart thrilled into her throat on a spike of terror Lin threw herself away, slamming back against the door and staring aghast as the spider changed. The limp tangle of its arms disappeared, dissolving into a clotted haze of black shadows that boiled and pulsed in the dark. Again Lin jolted against the door as cold sweat poured across her skin on the point of another bone rattling shudder. Because it looked just like a Forgotten!

She scrambled to open the door as it sat upright leaving Umi's knife protruding from the floor behind it. Before she could get the heavy iron door open it surged forward with unexpected speed, slamming the portal closed. Lin dove sideways only to wheel wrenching the dagger from the ground. Pointing the tip at the thing she gritted her teeth against a scream for help as her heart thundered in her ears. She almost reconsidered calling for the other spiders as a yawning mouth split the mass of its head. Gods, the sight was terrifying! It made her legs go weak and rubbery as it opened wider and wider until something emerged from within. As it did the quaking mess of its form calmed, solidifying to a vague humanoid shape that faded away into dim shadows at its feet.

Lin gaped stupidly at the familiar white mask that gleamed in the dark.

Blank black oculars smudged with sickness; purple triangles above and below.

Empty black mouth hanging open as if to speak; yet it remained ever silent.

Delicate hands lifted from the cloak of shadows, pushing up the mask.

Again the sad solemn face that emerged from beneath was achingly familiar.

Lin knees dissolved at the sight of Tomoe, dumping her onto the carpet.

Umi's knife fell from her fingers, landing without a sound on the carpet.

At once the ghost surged forward to kneel before her, reaching anxiously.

"_Are you unwell, Lin-sama? Have they harmed you!"_

She seized one of his hands just to make sure it was real.

Lin tightened her fingers even though touching him made her skin crawl.

Hearing the dry hush of his voice was as much a shock as it was a relief.

"How!" She choked incredulously, "How are you here!"

Tomoe's lips drew into a grim line of satisfaction.

He put his other hand on his stomach.

"_I ate a spider. As such I am able to hide within her shadow."_

A shudder of horror went skittering up Lin's spin as she remembered how Kaonashi had eaten and taken the voice and form of the bath house employees. Nervously taking back her hand Lin stared at him uncomprehending.

"But you gave Shurui your word that you wouldn't follow!"

The ghost snorted dismissively.

It was at the same time both terrifying and reassuring.

His endless jet black eyes gleamed like flints of obsidian in the dark.

"_I am no God, Miss Lin. Once I was human. Unlike Kami I can lie."_

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro awoke with a jolt.

She hadn't realized she'd been sleeping.

Blinking and blinking she struggled to make sure she was awake.

Then she found herself seriously annoyed by the fact that she wasn't just awake.

She was _wide_ awake.

Glancing at the window she realized it was still dark outside. A wall of intense indigo sky filled in the glass behind the yellowed lace curtains. Shivering violently she pulled the thick quilt up to her nose, breathing in the faint spicy smell of cedar lingering in the fabric. It triggered all kinds of complex memories as she ran her eyes up the dark sharply sloped ceiling. The last time she'd slept in this room was the night the spiders invaded the house. Hadn't Haku said he hated this room? Confused, she found herself tracing the path of a series of blots on the adjacent wall. Her insides contracted with dismay as she realized they were the footprints burned into the mural. Abruptly she looked away from the little boy or the old woman holding his hand.

Closing her eyes didn't help either.

All she could see was Sengen's cold blue eyes as they stared out of the mirror.

Glancing to the other corner of the room she gritted her teeth as silver glinted.

Beneath the tangled mess of her spider silk obi she could see the hilt of the sword.

Piled on top of the dull white fabric glinted the eerie sapphire jewel.

Peeking from beneath was the silver circle of the mirror.

Chihiro's insides scrambled and jittered at the sight of it.

Thank the Gods it had landed face down!

It didn't matter what Hidé said.

That mirror would always belong to his mother.

Turning her eyes back to the dark exposed beams of the ceiling Chihiro's insides went cold and tense with shame as she tried not to feel the frozen burn of Hidé's lips against her forehead. Tightening her hand on the scale hanging around her neck she worried the smooth curve with her thumb struggling to make sense of what she was feeling. She's read about this kind of stuff in school when they'd studies romance genre in her creative writing classes but had never really given it much thought. The text books went on and on about characters with _history_.

That's what was happening between her and Hidé.

She'd made her choice and he'd made his.

Those choices had irrevocably changed them forever.

But complications remained in the ghost of _feelings_ they once shared.

It was obvious he felt the same otherwise he wouldn't still be looking after her.

But it was different now.

They were done.

There was no going back.

That didn't do anything to change the history between them.

Still, how impossible was that going to be to explain to everyone else?

Especially Haku.

Chihiro held her breath as she ran over in her head the way he'd reacted earlier when he found out she'd seen Hidé. Haku'd always been emotionally turbulent but this was more than jealousy. Haku was scared; more than scared, actually; he was terrified, and all because he was afraid of loosing her. Not that she could blame him given what Sengen had put them thru over the past six months. She was still having trouble letting go of the worry that she'd go to sleep and wake up only to realize this was all a dream. Again she shivered violently with things that had nothing to do with cold. Continuing to worry his scale with her fingers, Chihiro let loose the breath she was holding and stared resolutely at the ceiling.

This wasn't a dream, she promised herself silently.

This was real; very, very real.

Then Haku sighed gustily in his sleep.

Chihiro's went still as her eyes riveted on his sleeping features. Her breath caught in her throat as she drank in the pale moon of his face. The green blue blot of his hair spilled across his smooth skin like ink. The dark line of his lashes and brows painted the contour of his closed eyes. The fine sharp point of his nose cut the shadows of the pillow. If she looked closely, so very, very closely, she could see the thin scar lines where the Forgotten had burned his face. Immediately she dropped her eyes as her insides seized with dismay over the terrible memory, desperate to see something else. All at once she was staring at his mouth. Soft and pink, the bow of his lips parted, tickling her face with his warm breath. Again she was struck by the wind of his making, like she'd been earlier. Staring at him now was like watching him dance.

The God crept out of him when he was asleep.

He was so beautiful, so very, very beautiful it was terrifying.

It make her chest ache to the point tears pricked her eyes.

Breathing a shuddering breath Chihiro cuddled closer, stealing his warm as she struggled to get as much of her body to touch his. Her insides sang with elation as he sighed again, threaded an arm heavy with sleep across her shoulder. Chihiro turned her face until her nose traced against the naked skin of his chest. Turning her mind away from morning she breathed him in, savoring the smell of warm summer rain. Instantly she was hungry again as she remembered the feel of him against her in the shower and the crushing heat of his body as he'd pinned her against the futon earlier. A shuddering stab of lust went winding in aching circle between her legs.

_Wow!_

Not for the first time Chihiro was left marveling at how much he'd changed; how much he'd learned about being human. What happened in the bath wing and on the futon was just… it was incomparable. She hated to use the phrase _lovemaking_ because it sounded oh–so-shojo, the kinda stuff air-head characters from bad romance anime gushed about. It was more than sex, more than physical satisfaction. Sex: that's what she'd had with Karou; that's what she'd had with Hidé. She'd eventually had that with Haku too. But now it was more with him. It was so much more. Being with him was like becoming a part of him. But then again that's what love was supposed to be, wasn't it?

She couldn't imagine living without that feeling.

Even though she just had him she wanted him again. She wanted him again and again until the heat between them burned up into smoke the terrible things she'd seen in that stupid, _stupid_ mirror! But even though her libido screamed in her ears urging her to wake him up and jump his skinny, skinny bones she fell still. With slow creeping dread Chihiro was forced to admit that she'd been so caught up in having him again she'd forgotten all about the fact that he was human now. Well, maybe not human, but human enough to make the consequences of unprotected sex very real.

Her eyes jolted open as she frowned so deeply her jaw ached. At once her thoughts were racing, turning back through time. She scrambled to figure out when her last period. She'd lost track of that in everything that'd been going on. Cold poured over her as she was forced to face the chance she could get pregnant. Still holding her breath Chihiro rolled over and stared blankly at the ceiling. Until this moment she'd never considered having kids. They wouldn't be just anyone's kids. They'd be his kids.

Would that be so terrible?

Yes; at the moment in time it would be very, _very_ bad.

And she hated that; she _hated_ it so much!

As she was forced to let loose the breath it escaped her frayed with anger and fear. She could breathe fire now! She could see the future! She could summon Gods and travel through space and time! But she couldn't remember to use a goddamn condom! It was idiotic; absolutely idiotic! Breathing out another ragged breath that bordered on a sob Chihiro rolled onto her side only to jump as Haku placed his hand on her back.

"Chihiro?" He murmured drowsily, "Is something wrong?"

Blinking and blinking some more she hurried a lie through her teeth

"I… I can't sleep."

"I see," he replied in a foggy hush.

Her lips quirked.

He was so polite even when he was half awake!

"What time is it?" She pressed on to distract herself.

He shifted beside her to glance at the window.

"Close to dawn."

As he shivered Chihiro rolled back into him, already lifting her face to his in earnest. But he stopped her kiss with the soft tips of his fingers. Her frown disappeared as she found herself drowning in the shining sea of his luminous jade eyes. He was smiling softly; face alight as if enjoying a private joke. He swept the hair from her face in a fluid motion, making her insides sing as he stroked the side of her face.

"Not yet, dear one. It is not yet sunrise."

Again he glanced at the window, frowning as if judging distance.

"There is yet enough time to make way to the cliffs before sunrise."

Her stomach tightened anxiously at the word.

Cliffs! She did not want to see _cliffs_ ever again!

Chihiro was full on frowning now, completely confused as he sat up.

"Why would we go to the cliffs?"

He came up short as he took in her expression.

It was his turn to look confused as he blinked rapidly.

"You do not know of _hatsuhinode?_"

Chihiro's lips quirked again.

Whatever it was sounded Shinto-ish.

"Nope."

Haku was stunned.

"You have never gone to see the rising of the New Year's sun?"

She was grinning now, trying not to laugh at him.

He made it sound so very serious and important.

"The closest we get to celebrating New Years is mom makes soba noodles. We don't even go to the local shrine."

Chihiro's grin faded as Haku's brows drew together in a sharp knot as the corners of his lips pulled down. Before she could ask him what was so special about watching the sun rise he moved so fast she couldn't track. None of the heat trapped under the quilt escaped as he lifted the covers and flowed to his feet. Her stomach flipped as she stared at his naked body. Muscles rippled, etched and cut in tight knots beneath his pale, pale skin. She looked up as Haku fell still. Amusement glittered in his luminous jade eyes as he returned her stare with an arched brow. Flustering, heat scorched Chihiro's cheeks as he caught her looking. Abruptly she threw her attention away as he got dressed. Sitting up she wrapped herself in the quilt, darting her eyes back to him in utter mystification as Haku gingerly retrieved his jacket from the corner of the room.

"Have you any warm clothes, Chihiro?"

She blinked and blinked some more only to jump as one of the drawers in the adjacent dresser gave a wooden squeak. Chihiro threw her attention overhead as Onsen's mothy presence fluttered for a moment before it fled. Getting up and still clutching the quilt around her shoulder, because it was _ridiculously_ cold, Chihiro opened the drawer only to find the clothes she'd worn the night she'd driven back to Izu from Tokyo. Purple wool coat, brown leggings, and a striped scarf and that stupid hat with the big silly flower; it was the same outfit she'd worn on their date in Ueno Park. Even though she found herself suddenly exhausted and more than ready to go back to sleep, Chihiro tossed the blanket at the futon.

She got dressed and not just to escape the biting cold.

Whatever this was all about, it obviously mattered to Haku.

Even if she thought it was nuts, she'd go with him to see the silly cliffs.

He took her hand without a word, carefully pulling the slider open so it made the barest whisper in its tracks. Onsen was dark and silent save for the creak of boards beneath their feet. Feeling like a kid sneaking out of the house, Chihiro tried not to make a sound as they crept down into the kitchen by the back stairs. Shoe waited patiently at the threshold of the back door as if she'd left them there. Chihiro gawked at the boots she'd completely forgotten. Tugging them on with sullen slowness, she looked up sharply as Haku stepped into a pair of beaten combat boots and laced them so quickly she was scrambling to catch up as he pulled open the back door.

Frozen, frigid, frickin' _cold_ breathed through the frame.

It slapped her in the face!

Cringing, Chihiro reluctantly followed as again Haku took her hand and led her out into the back porch. The steps were slick with ice and the ground was hard and crunchy beneath the soles of her shoes. Chihiro practically had to swim through the white cloud of her breath. The bald artic blue sky yawned in all directions devoid of even the tiniest shred of cloud. Again Chihiro found herself staring in awe at the lacy bow of stars arching through the crystal clear blue. You couldn't see stars like this in Tokyo. There was no such thing as quiet in the city either. But here everything was so very quiet she could _hear_ her blood pumping in her veins!

Haku, however, seemed in a hurry.

His somber gaze kept darting to the subtle gray creeping into the western horizon.

Letting Haku tow her along behind him, Chihiro followed past the dark and silent Kami Wing, through the garden gate, down the creaking snowy slope of the back field. Like it was even possible somehow it got even colder as they passed under the heavy drooping arms of the snow weight pines. Even the little glowy bugs that usually pooled like water in the dark nooks of the forest seemed to be holed up to escape the bitter cold. But after trekking up the hill and scrambling over the familiar knotted snarl of tree roots that trundled down the back Chihiro was sweating under her coat.

It wasn't just the thinning of the trees that let light creep across the frozen ferny glades filling the places where the forest gave. The drifts of snow melted into thin patches as if eroded by the heavy touch of salt in the air. Her breath caught in her throat as the distant hush and hiss of waves breathed through the ice coated trees. Chihiro could almost feel the echo of rolling waves in the stone under her feet. Her sense sharpened as through the breaks in the trunks she caught sight of the ocean's hard slate-gray edge as it cut a long unyielding vista against the pale pre-dawn sky.

Chihiro used to love the ocean.

It conjured fantastic memories of summer vacation.

But now the sight filled her chest with cold fear.

Before they could approach the familiar stretch of cliff Haku pulled her aside, making his way down the trail that led to the old village, leaving behind the arch and the stone altar. Chihiro's pace quickened because she was more than happy to follow him elsewhere. That particular stretch of stone held too many bad memories. Through the breaks in the trees the sky began to turn pale lemony yellows, an unimpressive prelude to what was coming soon. As they picked their way around a tall head of stone carpeted in moss and scraggly stunted cypress they broke out of the trees onto a flat expanse of sandstone. The clearing curved out into another jutting mound of white weather earth pocked with stubborn patches of green before abruptly dropping off into the thin air beyond the edge of the cliff.

The voice of the ocean roared up out of the narrow cove far, far below. It blew a vicious wind stinging with effervescence over the lip of stone. Chihiro jerked back half afraid that the water might roll up after it. Looking up at Haku she found him once again contemplating the distant horizon. He tucked her beneath the crook of his arm as he pulled them closer to the cliff. Ripping away she caught his arm and hauled him backwards. There was no way she was going anywhere near that edge! But as she opened her mouth to demand what the hell was going on Haku looked back at her with an enigmatic expression that instantly shut her up.

It was a thoroughly God-ish look.

Wordlessly he appealed to her to trust him.

For a moment she hesitated, staring at him uncertainly. The singing wind rippled in the short fringe of his inky blue-black hair, making it fly and flutter around his soulful green eyes. It plucked at his open jacket and fluttered his flannel shirt. The same fingers of air tugged on the stupid flower on her hat as if trying to rip it off. It made her eyes water; blowing right through her and stealing all her warm. Then reluctantly she returned to his side, taking trembling steps forward even as her legs went rubbery with terror; because all too soon they were standing right on the edge of the stupid cliff!

As her insides surged and scrambled, Chihiro refused to look down.

Her teeth chattered loudly as the air stole all her warmth.

Again Haku pointed wordlessly at the horizon, urging her to look.

Gritting teeth against angry words she struggled to understand.

This crazy sojourn was making absolutely no sense!

But if only for his sake she tried all the same.

Squinting her eyes she struggled to see what he was pointing at.

She was so surprised it took her a moment to see it.

Red and orange were bleeding up from the horizon like ink soaking a page.

Struck by the sight, she stared in awe.

The color breathed life back into the slate gray water!

All at once it became blue again; brilliant, unimaginable, radiant blue.

Chihiro couldn't remember the last time she'd seen the ocean like this.

All at once Haku was speaking, his quiet voice almost swallowed by the wind.

"This moment is both rare and sacred, Chihiro."

Chihiro was so caught up in the transformation of the sky she barely heard him.

She forgot the dizzying drop at her feet, swallowed by the magnificence above.

Fiery hues spread across the gray dome chasing back night.

The leaping peaks of the waves shattered like sapphires.

They become points of blue flame as they broke on the rocks.

And she began to believe him as she watched.

This wasn't just any sunrise.

Opening her eyes as if for the first time she began to see Haku as finally explained.

"When the sun rises a new year will begin. If we believe in the power of this moment, if we begin with utmost attentiveness, this moment will extend and follow in the place everything that has haunted us. All of our ill luck will be forced to remain with the old year. It will be banished, unable to follow."

Narrating the swift approach of dawn, Haku's arm tightened around her waist.

Somehow his words reached beyond this moment.

They spilled ahead down the road to somewhere in the future.

Her heart thrilled in her chest as a strange anticipation built in her chest.

"We begin this journey with our first laughter. Let it banish evil and call back what has been lost. We begin with our first smile. Let it boast that we are brave and sorrow cannot touch us. We begin with our first kiss. Let it show you how I love you now as I always have for every year that has gone before and will come again."

Incandescent wildfire burst over the edge of the world.

Silently it slipped over the horizon in a vibrant flash of white.

Chihiro jerked as the bell in her heart gave a sonorous peel. Throwing up her hand she cringed from the overwhelming brightness. All the same she stared between her fingers, looking right at the sun. The heat burned on her skin as the light dug into her eyes. But it didn't hurt like the light inside of Sengen's mirror. Eerily the warmth spread across her skin. Soaking her through until it was buzzing in her veins, making her hum with magic. She gave a violent start again as Haku took her face in his freezing hands. Ripping her eyes from to sun, Chihiro found his face alight like the sky. His eyes flashed like the shell around her neck. They caught the dawn, burning like viridian foxfires. Chihiro held her breath as she drank him in, drowning in the river of his eyes. Her insides thrilled as he bent over her finally offering what she wanted earlier. His exultant gold tenor sang in her ears as his lips whispered against hers.

"Kiss me, Chihiro. Show me that you feel the same."

Without hesitation she stood on her toes to crash her mouth against his. He still kissed like a God; infuriatingly slow and with such reverence. Throwing her arms around his neck she impatiently demanded more as her insides began to smolder hungrily. He chuckled softly, smiling against her lips as his hands skated down her hair. Chihiro gasped as he abruptly seized her around the middle, anchoring her against his side. Confused, she drew back only to find him smiling. Beaming brighter and brighter until his smile became a grin, Haku's radiant eyes suddenly filled with sparkling mischief. She cringed in surprise as he lifted an old synthetic umbrella over their heads. A wind of an entirely different kind erupted around them only to open the fabric them until the supporting tines inside locked in place with a springy _thwack!_

Chihiro shrieked; clamping her arms around his neck as her feet left the ground.

That only made Haku laugh harder as they shot up into the sky like a rocket.

He laughed loud and free as they spun like a top flying higher and higher.

Gods, she loved hearing him laugh!

It was such a rare sound that she forgave him for laughing at her expense.

Chihiro gasped as another gust of wind buffeted them higher before it let them drift to the side in a lazy spin. Her stomach surged into her throat as flight stole all feeling from her legs. She couldn't help but giggle as her insides sang with giddy weightlessness elation, grinning until her frozen cheeks ached. It wasn't the first time he'd taken her flying. This was a leisurely stroll compared to some of their previous walks in the sky! The sight knocked most of the worry out of her head as Izu floated by beneath their feet growing close and closer as they slowly drifted down like a bit of dandelion fluff. The coast transformed into a jagged scalloped line of rocks. It was outlined in thin lines of white where snow still piled. The highway meandered through the rolling loping carpets of black like a ribbon of white; disappearing into the tiny collection of lights that was Kumomi.

"You see the ground every day, dear one. Perhaps look at the sky instead."

Haku chuckled; laughing at her expense again.

Chihiro flashed Haku a surly moue before following his instructions.

Just as quickly she forgot to be mad as she peered around the edge of the umbrella. The sight struck her still. Endlessly the sky arched overhead in a dizzying, swallowing promise of forever that sent her insides scrambling. Somehow it stole back all the brilliant blue it loaned to the sea. Beneath them the ocean went unnervingly black, robbed of all its color once more save for where water met sky. A widening band of red fire unfurled there in a strange layered rainbow of light as it warmed the frozen heaven. Red bled to orange that faded to yellows that washed away into an bizarre violent before transforming to an faint hint of green blue at the edge of the familiar intense blue that slowly yawned wider and wider across, forcing away the edge of black at their backs.

Slowly it dawned on her just how impossible this was!

She thought he'd lost the ability to fly when he gave up being a God!

Loosening her grip she leaned away so she could look at him. Haku was gazing out at the sky with such a serene expression of happiness Chihiro forgot what she was going to say. It took him a long while to realize she was staring at him. A hint of pink crept into his cheeks as he glanced at her bashfully.

"H-how are you doing th-this! I th-thought you c-couldn't fly anymore?"

Chihiro forced the words through her chattering was _freezing _up there!

"I cannot. This is only possible thanks to another of Onsen's gifts."

He answered calmly, but not without a hint of sadness, lifting his eyes to the umbrella. Following his eyes up into the bell of the synthetic fabric, Chihiro found several lines of repair stitches crisscrossing the thin membrane. At once her insides seized and coiled with apprehension as her hands followed suite on Haku's coat. Abruptly her eyes dropped to the distant ground, judging the distance they had to fall if the stitched gave. She picked out the enormous camphor tree as lit loomed larger and larger beneath their feet. Her chest squeezed in relief as she found a familiar blue roof amidst a snowy field. It looked like a dolls house tucked against the trees and bamboo. The open air pool looked like a steaming cup of green tea.

Chihiro startled as Haku blew a gentle wind between his pursed lips, redirected their path. Again her stomach lurched into her throat as they buffeted sideways into a sharp arc, circling around as they began to sink with such mounting speed Chihiro fidgeted in Haku's grip. Expertly he blew a long controlled puff of air into the umbrella tines, sending her insides lurching. As they slowed to the ground folded open beneath them and everything grew large with intimidating, unexpected quickness.

Chihiro was stunned as her feet touched the ground in the back fields.

Her knees buckled.

Haku caught her before she could dump into the snow.

"Take care," he counseled gently, "Your legs will need a moment to adjust."

He held onto her until finally her knees remembered how to work.

Chihiro almost protested as he took back his arm.

She shivered in his absence, at once shaking from head to toe

Turning aside he shook the thick coat of ice from the umbrella.

Silently she watched to make it disappear into one of his pockets.

Here she remembered to speak too.

Chihiro stuttered through her chattering teeth.

"H-happy N-new Y-year, Hak-k-ku."

He turned back only to fight a frown that was also a smile.

"Oh, dear one, you have frost in your hair."

"W-whose fault-t-t is t-t-that?"

She glared at him and tried to frown. It was impossible to frown when your teeth were chattering so hard. Fighting that same sorry smile, Haku swept his hands over her head making bits of ice fall onto her shoulders before he bundled her inside his coat.

"Happy New Year, Chihiro."

Haku murmured into her frozen hair in utter contentment. Holding her close in the bow of his arms he planted a kiss on her brow. Chihiro's insides jolted, leaving her cringing as his frozen lips burned on her skin just like Hidé. Closing her eyes Chihiro tried to forget the sensation, tried to replace it with something that belonged to Haku alone. Leaning into him she breathed in his smell, pursuing his warmth only to find him shivering as well. She forgot everything as she remembered the steaming cup of tea she'd seen from the sky.

"Bath!" She demanded through her clenched teeth.

Again he chuckled, nuzzling the top of her head.

Then he steered her through the frozen fields heading for the bath wing.


	13. Chapter 13

**HAKU**

Dropping his head Haku sighed in gusty contentment as the spray ran in a steady river down the curve of his back taking the suds of soap with it. Enrobed in steam, doused in a steady stream of boiling hot water, it was easy to forget the snow outside. As loathe as he was to leave the rising sun he could not bare the cold sky. The frigid morning was a terrible thief. It robbed both he and Chihiro of all their warmth. Still an ember of light glowed in his heart.

Haku jumped, shifting aside to make way for Chihiro as she bumped against his side. He fought another grin as he glanced at her through the spray. Her head was caked with a thick cap of white foam that ran into her face. Her face was screwed into a tight knot of lines as she fought to keep the soap from her eyes and mouth. Blindly she groped, struggling to find the shower head. Grinning now, he almost withheld the water simply to tease her. The sunlight had allowed him to find again the rare mood that had seized him last night. The frogs were the pranksters of this house. Haku, however, was beginning to see the amusement at the heart of their play.

Before he could pester Chihiro further he came up short as he considered the retribution she might summon in answer to him. Instead he guided her hand to the faucet he watched as she rinsed her face, arching to let the water run through her hair and down the sweet soft curves of her form. Feeling guilty for tormenting her earlier with an unsolicited flight, Haku made amends by gently scrubbing her back with a wash cloth. She giggled as first, and then leaned into each of his strokes humming happily. Blinking at him through the spray she flashed him a smile and took the wash cloth, motioning for him to turn so she could to return the kindness.

Haku obliged, bracing his arms on the wall as the scent of soap and humid cedar made it difficult to think. Washing was one thing; bathing was something else entirely. The sooner they were clean the sooner they could soak in the raised pool set into the corner of the tiled washroom. All he wanted was the kiss of that burning hot water. Haku half considered braving the frozen air beyond the frosted sliding door so they could enjoy the massive pool outside. The thought of leaving behind the humid cloud of steam left him indecisive.

As he opened his mouth to seek counsel on the idea the door to the shower opened.

Haku whirled, catching hold of Chihiro as she shrank into him with a squeak. A blast of chilly wind flooded the room in response to his surprise. It escaped through the open door, clearing the veil of steam. Still bleary eyed with sleep Megumi came up short in the threshold as it gusted by. They stared at each other in wide-eyed shock. She was quite naked. So was he. But she was all the more exposed as her hair was tightly knotted atop her head. Haku slapped his hands over his eyes as his face burned in scalding mortification. She screamed all the same, shrill with outrage as she slammed the plastic door so hard the room shook.

_"Goddamnit, Kou!" _Megumi thundered furiously,_ "_This is the _girl's_ side!"

Terrified, Haku took back his shaking hands staring at the frosted door.

Megumi's silhouette loomed behind the translucent plastic like a black demon.

She continued to snarl from the female's changing room.

"Get out here _now_ so I can take a shower!"

He shrank in distress from the idea of exiting through that door.

All he had to cover himself was a tiny washcloth!

Silently he appealed to Chihiro for help.

She was just as red in the face as he.

Unfortunately for him she was shaking with withheld laughter.

Holding her breath and crossing her eyes in effort to keep silent.

Looking away in frosty indignation he endured her snuffled snickering.

"This is not amusing, Chihiro," Haku muttered sullenly.

That only made her snigger and giggle louder, proving the opposite.

Side-stepping out of the shower's path, he turned the faucet to cold.

Chihiro choked on a shriek, scrambling to shut off the spray of water.

Irritably she waved at the opposite slider, motioning toward the out door pool.

"You can get to the guy's side from the deck, right?"

Haku blinked as he realized that was indeed true.

Gritting his teeth he braced himself for the frozen air.

He yelped in surprise as Chihiro pinched his rear.

Stunned he looked at her sharply and found her grinning in vindication.

He sputtered huffily. What insult!

Casting about for some kind of response he drew himself tall only to stick his tongue out at her. Haku had seen Fuu and Kana exchange such gestures when harassing each other. It was his turn to grin as she blinked and went pink in the cheeks with surprise. Goaded thoroughly, she grabbed the shower head to douse him with cold water. Before she could Haku fled, slipping out through a crack in the outer door. He loosed a strangled squawk as the arctic air blistered and seared his skin. But his feet did not so much as touch the icy ground.

He was through the slider into the men's side of the bath wing with a wind on his heels. Steam whirled overhead in a great eddying circle as the door slammed shut behind him. Water splashed high as he all but threw himself through the steaming surface of the interior pool. Immersed to his chin Haku let himself melt into the hot water as the dim green gloom of the tiled room cocooned him in silence. Slowly the heat soaked through every inch of his body as he loosed a long gusty sigh in the muggy air, stretching out his long legs until his toes tickled against the opposite wall.

Boneless and nearly floating, Haku stared through the lazily drifting vapor and found himself idly counting the trickling drips of water. Finally feeling thoroughly boiled, Haku surfaced; sitting up and planting his back against the cooler tiles of the wall. Spreading out his arms he watched his pale skin steam in the cooler air. Blowing a gentle wind through his pursed lips he chased the mists in playful eddies, watching them in absent fascination, sending them chasing as he twined his fingers in circles.

What a luxury to have a moment to himself.

What a rare thing this brief flash of calm.

Too quickly it was gone.

Slowly a frown tugged on his lips as distant sounds invaded his sanctuary.

Sharp female voices echoed in the ventilation ducts overhead.

Furrowing his brow Haku listened intently as Michio's voice spiked.

Then Jae and Kenka's voice sounded even closer.

"Why's she yelling," Kenka muttered irritably, "It's way too early for her to be pissed about something."

"It's Megumi, man," Jae returned helplessly, "She was born pissed."

Sluggish with heat Haku hauled himself upright sending water sloshing over the lip of the recessed pool only to balk at fleeing outside. It was too terribly cold! Whirling he found their shadows filling the fogged plastic door leading to the male changing room.

He cringed as the door yanked open, clearing the humid air with the violent wind of his mortification, because there was nowhere to go! Dropping back into the water Haku slapped his hands over his eyes as once again his face was burning.

_ "Jesus fuckin' Christ, Kou! You scared t'shit outta me!"_

Jae swore explosively, sounding faint.

Kenka, however, sounded both amused and perplexed.

"Why are you covering your eyes, dude?"

"I am being polite!" Haku announced in embarrassment.

In the same moment Megumi hammered on a distant door.

She was yelling in renewed anger.

"I gave you plenty of time to clear out, Kou! You better be out of there!"

Haku's insides scrambled uncomfortably in the stunned silence that followed.

"Wait… Were you in the _girl's_ side?"

Jae was incredulous.

"It is not as it sounds!" Haku threw back hastily still covering his eyes, "Megumi did not know Chihiro and I were…"

The word dried up in his mouth even as he spoke them.

_"You dog!"_ Jae crowed exultantly, "First thing in the mornin', huh?"

Haku sputtered in humiliation.

It was a wonder that the water around him was not boiling.

The heat radiating from his face could have evaporated the entire pool.

"Dude, knock it off. You're gonna piss him off and I'm seriously fine with watching him beat your ass."

Kenka sighed gustily as he shut the door.

His bare feet slapped on the tiles before the water snicked on.

Heat and humidity flooded the room replacing what Haku's wind chased out.

Another of the showers fizzed on.

Jae had to shout over the hiss of the water to be heard.

"Hey, man, Kou earned ever bit of this! I was all worried that some _bad shit_ had gone down again last night when he took off from the party like a bat outta hell. Turns out he was just getting his rocks off with his girl!"

"Will you shut up already!" Kenka bit back hotly before he cursed under his breath, "Damn it, now I got soap in my eye."

Hands firmly pressed over his eyes and chin submersed Haku considered fleeing.

The males were thoroughly distracted.

But before he could dissolve into wind and mist a shower cut off.

Haku cringed back against the wall as someone joined him in the pool.

Kenka sighed in a long suffering sound from somewhere to his right.

"Kou, will you stop hiding? It's not like we have anything you don't."

Gritting his teeth, Haku lowered his hands, blinking rapidly as he stared ahead. From the periphery of his vision he could see Kenka leaning against the far wall of the bathing pool watching him from the corners of his eyes all the while wearing a mild smirk. Haku found his resolve slipping as he noticed with curiosity that the skin of the male's chest was so very dark compared to his. It made the wet synthetic frosted fringe of the male's hair all the brighter. Kenka pale eyes glittered with barely restrained humor as the male wiped water from his face.

"That didn't kill you, now did it?"

No. Haku was forced to admit that it had not.

Still, his insides chilled with apprehension as he slowly sat up.

In truth he was more afraid of their reaction to seeing him.

As he had feared Kenka's face fell with horror as his eyes slid across Haku's skin.

Another shower cut and water splashed as Jae joined them abruptly.

"H-holy shit, Kou! Where _t'hell_ did you get those!"

The foul-mouthed human invaded his space to inspect the scars.

Haku's back slapped against the cold wall tiles as he cringed from Jae's attention.

Kenka caught Jae's arm and hauled him aside.

Jae submersed a moment before surfacing coughing and glaring at his friend.

"What _t'fuck_, man!"

Kenka splashed him, glaring back with a furious frown.

"Congratulations, dude! You win the insensitive asshole award this morning."

Jae threw a hand at him making Haku flinch as flecks of water hit his arm.

"But look at them, man! They look like _huge_ fuckin' spider bites!"

"That is what they are."

Absently Haku rubbed a knot of scar tissue on his right shoulder as quietly he explained the origin of the score of angry red puncture wounds that marred the length of his body. With every passing moment he grew less and less self-conscious about the marks. As it was with Chihiro, in a way it was comforting to let himself be seen. Hiding, like lying, was absolutely exhausting.

"These are relatively new. I incurred them when I was taken that night."

Jae's voice failed as it shredded on the edge of dread.

"You mean those are from the s-_spiders_…?"

Haku nodded carefully.

Thankfully they did not ask about the poison.

He was not sure he could bring himself to tell them how it had nearly killed him.

"Do they hurt?"

Kenka's face and gone pale; his worried gaze darted at him only to veer away.

Haku frowned consideringly.

"Sometimes they ache."

"What about those?" Jae demanded hoarsely.

Haku blinked before putting a hand on the parallel lines etched into the hard wall of his stomach. His fingers spread to trace the marks in a slow drawing motion that was not lost of the humans. Whatever color they had left fled their faces.

"These are older," Haku explained quietly so as not to alarm them anymore than he already had, "There are more on my face and my arms if you look closely. They come from an encounter with something far worse than spiders."

Jae was horror-struck as he choked beneath his breath.

"What _t'fuck_ could be worse than spiders, man!"

Kenka was staring at anything but him now.

The male was shaking slightly as he threw up a quelling hand.

"Look, I… I don't want to hear about that right now if that's okay?"

The haunted look was back in the male's pale eyes as he stared at nothing.

Haku's brow tightened with worry as he studied his friend.

With a gusty sigh that sent the mists swirling Haku swept wet bangs from his face.

"Apologies, Kenka. I only sought to answer your question."

The human nodded but still refused to look at him.

"S'okay, dude. I know you're not trying to freak me out. It's just too easy to forget what you are and what you've been through when you're acting all flustered and awkward and cute."

The pall lifted as Haku's lips twitched and glanced askance at his friend.

"You think me cute?"

It was Kenka's turn to go red in the face.

"_Oooo!" _Jae taunted wickedly, "I'm tellin' on you to Chihiro!"

Angrily Kenka splashed the male right in the face just as he opened his mouth.

Coughing violently, Jae choked on the water, grimacing and pinching his nose.

"_Fuck_, man! You got it right up my _fuckin' nose!_ I hate that!"

Still playing up his condition, Jae deviously scooped a handful of water in return. It doused Kenka over the head making his hair run in his eyes. Haku looked on in mounting dismay as the bedraggled males glared at each other for a tense moment. At once the shallow bathing pool erupted into a frothy water fight in which he was embroiled against his will as the humans stood to kick and scoop water at each other.

"Please!" Haku entreated in exasperation, "Can I not bath in peace!"

A fiercely misdirected jet of water slapped him in the face.

It invaded his eyes with uncomfortable heat as he cringed behind his hands.

A spike of fury surged through his chest in response to the slight.

_"Enough!"_ Haku thundered.

Magic surged in his veins like crackling ice as he slapped his hands together.

The sound reverberated into the echoing space like a thunderclap.

Onsen obeyed him eagerly.

At once the water erupted from the pool at his command.

It surged into the air only to blow apart and solidify.

Transformed, it gathered into glittering tremulous orbs suspended midair.

Steaming exuded from the dripping orbs in curling plumes of vapor.

These swirled and eddied in the torrid rafters like tiny whirlpools.

Kenka and Jae were left floundering on the slick tiles like stunned drowning fish.

Standing wearily Haku exited the empty pool muttering beneath his breath.

"Gods above, you are such children."

The moment he turned his back to the humans, however, he could fight the smile no more. Closing the rickety plastic door behind him he let the water fall. Jae and Kenka's shrieks masked Haku's low chuckle. As he found a fresh towel and other communal toiletries in the cupboards of the adjoining changing room, Onsen creaked in the rafters with silent glee. Grinning up at the house's sweet presence Haku quickly dried his hair. Wrapping himself in a crisp yukata that smelled strongly of savory cedar, he busied himself with brushing his teeth at one of the sinks to keep from grinning as Jae and Kenka emerged sullen and dripping from the bathing room. They continued to glare at each other as they went for towels and joined him at the sinks shortly.

Haku could not help but paused in the midst of frothing the minty paste against his teeth as the males lathered their faces with soap only to lose from their toiletries kits tiny blades trapped in blue plastic. These they used to sheer off the stubbly hairs on their faces and necks. Fascinated by the thoroughly bizarre human ministrations, Haku found himself starting with intense curiosity.

"Is that not dangerous!" He hushed as he took the brush from his mouth.

Jae flashed him an amused glance as he carefully scratched the blade against the tiny nook beneath his nose. He the male paused to pat his freshly shaved cheek.

"No shit, man. But the ladies like a smooth face."

Haku glanced at Kenka only to find the male plucking out one by one the tiny fine hairs between his eyes. It was obvious from the human's expression that the act hurt a great deal. The afflicted skin was slowly becoming red and swollen. Haku watched in mystification.

"Surely that causes you pain!"

Kenka never ceased his work even as a tear slipped down his cheek.

"Yeah, it does."

Haku was utterly baffled.

"Then why then do you do this?"

"Because I like the way it looks. This is nothing. Girls like to rip off all the hair on their bodies except what's on their head."

Haku cringed as he gasped in horror.

_ "Madness!"_

Kenka laughed out loud at that, flashing him a sparkling grin that lit up his face.

"Want me to do you brows too?"

Haku shrank holding out quelling hands as he gritted his teeth.

"Man, don't go girling him up already!" Jae muttered irritably.

Haku could not help but cringe as the male scraped the plastic razor at his neck.

Kenka flashed his friend a sour moue.

"So says the dude that likes facials."

Frowning still, Haku ran his hand over the fogged glass and leaned close to inspect his face. He had no such hair on his chin, cheek or neck. Nor was he so troubled by the state of the tiny hairs on his brows that he felt compelled to rip them out. The bridge of his nose was completely smooth as it always had been. Pinching his damp bangs between his fingers Haku pulled a lock down onto his forehead only to have it barely tickle against his eyelashes. At once his frown became a scowl as he realized his hair was beginning to grow long again. Remembering how the messy length had afflicted him he made a sour grimace.

"Let me know when you want me to cut it."

Haku glanced up as Kenka joined him. Running a hand through his hair, the human teased it back and forth, measuring it between his fingers with a considering moue. Haku watched in the reflection of the mirror as lines of pain etched around Kenka's eye.

"I'm not as good as Shouta but I'll keep it from become a mess."

Kenka looked away quickly, returning to his sink and his plucking. Watching the human's suddenly guarded expression through the reflection in the mirror, Haku silently worried for his friend. Worrying drove him to make small talk.

"Was it so terrible when it was longer?"

As Kenka glanced at him Haku held out a pinch of his hair clownishly.

The male's lips quirked.

But just as abruptly he looked away, for some reason trying to sound casual.

"Not really. I kinda liked it long."

Kenka's coolness came across forced. Haku found himself frowning at his friend. What was this then? Haku had far too much practice with deception to not notice the male's subterfuge. Pink that had nothing to do with plucking crept into Kenka's cheeks as Haku continued to study him. The color intensified as the male's pale eyes darted at him only to skate away as he leaned closer to the mirror to focus intently on the tiny hairs at the corner of his left brow that eluded his tiny tweezers. But as Haku opened his mouth to speak the slider to the changing room jerked open.

Completely startled, Haku vaulted into the air as gale erupted beneath his heels.

A violent riot of wind ripped through the room as he back-flipped onto the bench.

Heart hammering in his throat, ever coiled fiber of his body hummed with fight.

He reached for Hanoane searching the empty doorway for enemies.

But his sword was not at his side.

It, along with the rest of his clothes, he had left in the female's changing room.

Haku turned with fists on the hands that pulled at him.

Furious wind knocked Kenka back against the cabinets so hard it dislodged towels.

At once the male's white hands flashed in the air between them.

Haku stared at them numbly, forced to reckon that they were unarmed.

Even though fear transformed his face Kenka mastered it.

"Dude! Dude, _chill!_" He appealed soothingly, "It's just Bozu!"

Kenka was pointing now.

Whirling, Haku found the tiny yokai peering around the door frame.

His single eye was wide as he clutched Karasu's bowler to his head.

Pale blue with worry, Chouchin fought the wind to float above Bozu's head.

Haku stared at them uncomprehending.

At once he was light-headed and short of breath with relief.

No spiders scrambled at his door.

No monster or demons either.

Nothing threatened his loved ones.

Again reprieve robbed him of strength.

He was both grateful and terrified in the same moment.

Because it seemed anything could crash through these halls at any moment.

His knees shook to the point they nearly folded.

Kenka caught his arm as Haku collapsed to a seat on the bench.

The male's bleached hair fluttered in the slowly quieting wind.

"What _t'fuck_, Kou! That some _serious_ PTSD!"

Jae was clinging to the sink staring at him with pale anger.

A tiny river of red ran down his cheek where he had cut himself.

"A-apologies…" Haku hushed as he struggled to catch his breath, still stunned and confused, "I… I know not what came over me."

Haku jerked against Kenka as the goblin surged at him. Bozu caught the hem of his yukata and tugged on it insistently, hissing between his sharp teeth as if whispering could keep the humans from hearing.

"Stupid dragon cannot trick Bozu! Tell Bozu what happened!"

Extricating himself from the creatures grip, Haku spilled backwards in his haste to put the bench between him and the yokai. Kenka came with him. The vice of the male's arms around his waist was the only thing that kept Haku on his feet. Bozu clambered up onto the bench, stomping his bare feet and shaping his tiny fists, glaring furiously with his single eye.

"Bozu saw kami-human and fox and spider return to Ueno Park last night! Bozu saw kitty-cat and stupid dragon clean up the ocean and the stones before humans came home! Did kami-human see Kubi-san? Tell Bozu! Tell him now!"

Haku flinched from the goblin's desperate demands.

Mutely he stared not knowing where to begin.

"What's he talking about, Kou?"

Kenka's breath tickled again Haku's neck, making him shiver.

Why was it that he could never seem to keep anything from this human?

At the male's gentle entreat the words spilled from Haku in a rush.

"I left abruptly last night because something did indeed happen. Onsen, Okesa, and I were able to conceal the results before you returned."

As all eyes in the room turned to fix upon him with such acuity Haku's knees shook once more beneath the weight of their attention. With Kenka's help he returned to a seat on the edge of the bench, throwing up a warding hand to keep Bozu at bay. Here, however, the tiny creature startled as Jae threw his razor into the sink. Jittering down off the bench, Bozu fled to hide behind Haku as the male began shouting furiously, gesturing wildly as he struggled to keep the towel around his waist.

"What _t'fuck_, man! I though you said you weren't gonna _lie_ to use anymore!"

Haku gritted his teeth as the word slapped him in the face.

Ducking his head, Jae knocked back against the wall as Chouchin hissed at him.

The lantern circled back over to gently bump against Haku's head.

He collected her into his arms, rewarded and comforted by her rosy glow.

"Apologies. I did not want to upset Satako or her mother."

As the hot-blooded male sputtered Kenka cut him off.

"Leave it, Jae! It doesn't matter anyway so let him talk!"

Jae glared back, chewing fury before wiping soap and blood from his face.

The male, however, managed to remain silent.

Quickly Haku explained the little he knew, trying to make sense of it himself.

"There is a mirror in the Kumomi Shrine treasure store that belongs to the Goddess of the harbor. It has the ability to show whomever looks into it glimpses of what is and what might be. Chihiro looked into that mirror in hopes of seeing the ones we have lost. What she saw drove her back to Ueno Park and the Gojo Tenjin Shrine. Apparently she spoke at length with Kazue-sensei."

That shut Jae up.

Kenka plunked down beside him in stunned surprise.

"Seriously?"

"Shhh!" Bozu hissed, "Tall human must let Stupid Dragon talk!"

Haku's lips quirked back and forth between a frown and a smile as he glanced down at the goblin; batting at the brim of Karasu's hat, he knocked the bowler into the yokai's eyes. Chouchin loosed the sputtering fizzle that was her giggle as the tiny creature flashed them a surly grimace.

"What did sensei say?"

Haku glanced up at Kenka as the male grabbed his arm.

Chouchin spilled from Haku's arms, darting up into the rafters with angry sparks.

Kenka ignored her. His pale face was transfixed with anticipation.

They both jumped as Jae cut in furiously, spitting as he shouted wrathfully.

"What _t'fuck_ do we care what she said, man! She _abandoned_ us! She brought us into this fuckin' mess then gave us the _fuckin'_ boot as soon as things went t'hell!"

Kenka ignored the male's fit, pressing on in the barest whisper as his face tightened, etching with the same lines of pain Haku had seen earlier.

"Did sensei say anything about Shouta?"

Haku was forced to shake his head in solemn silence, swallowing a pinch of pain as misery and worry soaked Kenka through. Still the male pressed on even as he began to crumble, struggling to hold back the tears of frustrated agony in his glimmering eyes.

"What about Kana or Fuu?"

It was Jae who spoke up now. The male was leaning against the wall hugging his bare chest as if cold, staring at the floor between them wearing an undisguised expression of great conflict. Jae shivered, glancing at him then away as again Haku shook his head.

"And Kubi-san? Did Kami-human see Kubi-san?"

Haku glanced down at Bozu as the yokai yanked again on his hem.

"Apologies, Bozu-san. She did not."

The tiny creature's eye went perfectly round as his face fell.

Haku's heart squeezed in pity as the goblin sank to a seat on his heels.

Hastily he amended his truth with a small kindness, trying to offer hope.

"She did see the children."

At once Bozu's chin jerked up as his shining eye went awed.

He snuffled loudly, wiping at the tears cutting paths on his grimy cheeks.

"Kami-kids okay? Really, truly?"

Haku nodded with a smile that somehow felt false.

"Yes, they are well."

"What else?" Kenka demanded suddenly.

Haku shrank from the male's sudden shrewd scrutiny.

As always, this human saw him far too clearly.

Kenka's face went cool and calm with uncharacteristic control.

"You're saving the worst for last. I can tell."

Haku's insides sank with frosty dismay.

What could he do but tell the truth?

"We must leave you. Where we go where you cannot follow."

"Like _hell_ we can't!"

Kenka all but shouted in his face as he seized him by the collar. Haku shrank from the human's uncharacteristic vehemence, stunned by the anger burning in his pale wide eyes. It drew Kenka's lips into a thin grim line that set the muscles at the back of his jaw twitching. Hidden in the shadow of that fire, however, was guileless fear. Haku was stunned by the male's concern. It touched a rare chord in his heart, proving the strength of their friendship, leaving his voice thick and useless in his throat as emotions swelled in his chest until they exceeded him. A wind gusted through Kenka's hair as Haku took the male's hand from his collar. Gently he touched the human's fingers on one of the spider bite scars exposed on his neck.

"We cross back into the Spirit World, Kenka. I can barely survive in that place. I cannot risk your well being in the dangers that await there."

The human's face tightened with consternation as he snatched back his hand shaking his fingers as if the contact had shocked him. All the same Kenka stared long hard at the mark, obviously struggling with Haku's quiet pronouncement. The male blinked rapidly as if Haku had slapped him, looking away. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to accept his words as his hands tightened to fists.

"How long will you be gone?"

Haku's insides sank as his blood went cold as ice.

"Time in the Spirit World does not move the same as in the human world."

"You keep saying that but what t'fuck does that really mean, man?" Jae demanded peevishly.

There was no way to soften this blow.

Haku blundered forward and divulged the worst truth.

"It means we may be gone for months; possibly even years."

Again silence hit the room. Jae and Kenka both went blank-faced with staggered surprise. Haku hurried to speak into the void for he was desperate to have them hear him.

"I have no right to ask anything more of you. Already I have stolen from you more than I can ever return, but I beg of you still!"

At once Haku melted forward onto the floor.

Pressing his forehead onto his folded hands he bowed with utmost decorum.

Abandoning all pride he implored them to listen.

"I offer you work here. You will have room and board and whatever human wage you see fit to request. In exchange I beseech you to watch over and feed my family in my absence. You will come to love this house as I do. She will love and protect you in return. Be well and safe beneath her roof. _Stay!_ Please, I humbly beg of you to stay!"

Haku could not bring himself to speak the last.

Until I am able to return.

He could not speak it aloud for fear it might become a lie.

But he held it in his heart like a prayer.

All the signs offered this past night bespoke possibilities he had not foreseen.

They dared him to have faith.

Suddenly his brittle hope seemed to grow stronger.

"Damn it, Kou, will you _stop_ bowing!"

Kenka hauled him upright, putting him back on his feet. Haku's insides seized in surprise at the human's strength. Catching him by the shoulders Kenka shook him with an angry growl before pushing him away before pacing back and forth, making Chouchin dart out of the way as he circled shaking with intense emotions. Scrubbing his face and pulling at his hair Kenka re-tightened the towel around his waist before spinning on his heel to face him, making Haku back a step holding up his hands in supplication as the male advanced on him with a stern grimace.

"_Seriously_, dude! You're such a _pain in the ass_!"

Here he came up short staring with such a complex expression Haku did not know what to think. Then Kenka wilted and loosed a gusty sigh. Bowing his head the male pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded.

"I'll stay."

"_T'fuck _you will!" Jae started up tetchily.

Kenka whirled, jabbing a finger into his bare chest.

With uncharacteristic fury he thundered in his friend's face.

His pale eyes flashed like lightening as he spit the words through gritted teeth.

_"I said I'm fucking staying! _I have nowhere else to go! I have nothing left but all of this! I'm tired of having nothing, Jae! These people have been good to me! Nicer than anyone has been in a long time! You and Meg can do whatever the _fuck_ you want but I'm gonna stay!"

Jae knocked back against the wall holding up his hands exactly as Haku had.

Obviously shaken Jae stared up at Kenka as if seeing him for the first time.

"Okay, man, I got it! You don't have t'tear me a fuckin' new one!"

Pushing his finger away Jae drew himself up to glare at his friend.

Kenka was still almost a full head taller.

"Look, man, if you stay I'm gonna stay too."

Kenka laughed. It was a bitter humorless sound.

"I don't need your pity, Jae."

The male shoved him hard, advancing with shaking fists as if ready to punch him. Haku was about to intervene. But Jae, however, managed to contain his temper, use words instead of actions.

"_Fuck you_, man! You ever worked in a hotel? I have! Your cooking sucks compared to mine an' I don't want this place to go bankrupt because you always burn your roux! Besides, how _fuckin_' lame would it be to have to go back t'Osaka an' move in with mom and my halmeoni? I'd never get laid again in my life!"

Kenka ground his teeth together visible agitated.

But he went cold as he threw the following in his friend's face.

"What about Meg?"

Jae blinked rapidly as he face fell. A tangled mess of emotions flitted across his face as he grappled with that. Anger won out at the end as it always did with this human.

"Since when do I give a _fuck_ what Megumi does?" Jae threw back heartlessly.

Kenka did not look impressed or convinced by the male's bravado.

He crossed his arms and opened his mouth to speak.

In the same moment Satako darted into the room.

The males knocked into the sinks with strangled oaths clutching their towels. Haku forgot them in that moment. All the air seemed to leave the room as Haku stared at the tiny human girl. She was not wearing her wig. The jagged scar from the operation that had saved her life cut across her skull plain for him to see. It could not be hidden even by the short crop of black hair returning to her head. Her indigo yukata much too big; she ran blindly, tripping on the trailing hem. Haku dropped to his knees skating forward on a gale to catch her. Easily he scooped her up. His insides thrilled with dismay for she weighed nothing.

At once he was holding her as he might a fragile bird.

Unfortunately his bird did not sing.

Satako all but shrieked in his ears.

_"Don't go! Don't go! Don't go!"_


	14. Chapter 14

**HAKU**

Satako snuffled loudly in his ears as she flung her arms around his neck. Her tears burned like points of fire against his shoulder. Haku had endured both agony and madness beyond human comprehension. But, oh, the touch of these tears against his skin; they nearly broke him!

Haku forgot the other humans.

He forgot Bozu and Chouchin.

Blindly he fled the room carrying Satako with him.

The boards barely touched his feet as in a blast of wind he found himself in the kitchen. But it was not strange that he would instinctively choose to retreat here. This was the heart of the House. Onsen flooded into the rafters, lighting the hearth with the warmth of her presence. Kneeling at the nook Haku sat the human child down on the edge of the bench. She refused to sit just as she refused release him. Her tiny arms locked around his neck like a vice be could not resist. Towing him down, angrily she spoke halting through her sobs.

"Onsen told me you're leaving! You can't go! I just got you back! I didn't even get to see you at all! Now you're going away and probably for a long, long time! Just like last time but _longer_! I'll be old and ugly by the time you come back!"

Astonished by her knowledge, Haku held her close unsure of what else to do.

Smoothing his hand over the fuzz of her hair he murmured inanities.

"You will never be ugly, dear Satako."

She stamped her foot and continued to cry unabated.

"Yes I will! I'll be wrinkly and warty and you won't even recognize me!"

Gracelessly Haku sat back onto the tiles as she climbed into his lap.

Burying his face in the front of his yukata she revealed the truth of her dismay.

"Mom and dad are getting a divorce…"

Haku was startled by that revelation.

He had never met the child's father.

Minako-san did not speak of him; neither did Satako.

In this moment it became apparent why.

"Mom says we're going to move to Kyoto to live with my aunt. I don't want to go to Kyoto! Her house smells funny and is full of bugs."

Satako continued in a rush, no longer crying.

"Kai wants me to stay too. He says that if I move here I can go to school with him. He says they play taiko after school and they get to eat takoyaki all the time and that his teachers let him paint and draw whenever he wants. He says that there's a pirate festival in the summer and that when he grows up he'll take me out on a ride in his dad's boat. Please let me stay! Please! Onsen wants me to stay! She said so!"

Unconsciously his arms tightened around the human girl.

His heart thrilled into his throat at the thought of keeping her.

How wonderful it would be to keep this lovely cuckoo's child.

But this bird was not his to keep.

Staring blankly at the orange cushions Haku found his mouth perfectly dry.

His voice cracked, turning brittle as he spoke in the barest whisper.

"What of your mother?"

She blinked rapidly.

He could feel the flutter of her eyelashes.

"I'm sure mom'll get used to it here."

Haku cringed at the false confidence in her reply.

Oh, clever sweet child.

It was a terrible lie and Haku knew it.

Satako must have realized he was wise to her deception because all at once she went quiet. Then she hiccupped loudly. A frail smile pulled his lips in spite of the sorrow twisting a cold bitter blade in his heart. Picking her up Haku carried her to the sink and deposited her on the counter edge. She kicked her feet and watched him in brooding silence as he took a glass from the cabinet. This he filled with water before offering it to her. She accepted the glass, sipping it as she continued to hiccup. Onsen snapped and popped in the corner hearth as Haku frowned mildly at her snotty nose. He dampened a towel to clean her face as daylight continued to brighten the window behind her back. All the while Satako studied him with large melancholy brown eyes that reminded him far too much of the girl he had saved from drowning in a river years ago. She hiccupped again then sighed gustily, wilting as she sat down her glass.

"I can't stay here can I?"

Haku did not trust himself to speak as the pain in his heart pinched his throat.

He shook his head in a silent no.

Tears gleamed in the corners of her eyes again as she seized his hand.

Hope made them perfectly round.

"What about when I'm older? Can I come stay here when I'm grown up?"

Here he was able to nod yes, flashing her that same brittle smile.

This much he could offer her.

Haku prayed that fate would not make him a liar

Because she lit up like a firecracker in the dark.

"Can I wear a uniform like the other kami? Do I have to scrub Onsen's floors like Chihiro did in the movie? Do they really wash floors like that? What about the roof? Can I go up on the roof? Do I get my own room or do I have to share? Do we have to eat fish all the time or can we have okonomiyaki? What about takoyaki? Do you like takoyaki?"

At once she was leaning forward flooding him with a torrent of eager questions. Drowning in her exuberance Haku found himself holding a breath against a laugh.

The sunlight of her smile banished the cold pain haunting his heart.

He was not expecting the back door to open.

Haku was so startled that he loosed a gasp.

Onsen guttered in the wind of his surprise.

He found himself perched atop the stairs at the split curtain holding Satako tightly. The urge to run vibrating in his every bone as Michio lurched through the frame.

The female's synthetic hair was a mess, matted on one side where it had made a rude thin pillow where she had come to sleep. The green color matched the ill hue of her clammy skin and dark circles smudged beneath her eyes. All the way across the kitchen Haku could smell the stink of drink upon her. Kicking off her zori on the threshold the female shuffled along barefoot and cringing as if the act of moving made her sick. Her kimono, however, was badly bundled under her arm. The tie bound her obi dragged on the ground behind her. She was wearing a man's shirt and pants. Both were far too large. Where they had come from Haku did not know.

"Wow… You look really sick, Michio-san."

Satako leaned back in his arms to frown at the ailing female.

Haku recoiled as Michio glowered at them murderously.

"Move…"

He obeyed her muttered command, catching air as he vaulted off the banister, sailing over the nook to land lightly in her wake.

"Do that again! Do that again!"

At once Satako was yanking on the front of his yukata with a squeal of glee.

_"Oi!"_ Michio called back irritably as she cringed from the sound, "Not so loud!

She sulked between the billowing curtains jabbing a thumb at the back door.

"Keiichi wants to talk to you."

Haku blinked only to turn toward the door. On the opposite side the young priest stood pale faced and taken aback as Haku's breeze flowed through the door in lazy gusts. He was dressed in the finest regalia kept by the shrine. The sumptuous silks of his blue, green, and white robes glittered in Onsen's pale firelight. The lacquered tail of the young priest's hat quivered comically as he trembled visibly. Quaking from head to toe the male bowed to him offering up a sasaki branch festooned with carefully folded paper.

"_Akemashite o-medetō_, _O-kami-sama_."

Keiichi managed to pronounce the words without stuttering.

Setting Satako down Haku reverently repeat the words and returned his bow.

"Happiness on the opening of a new year, Keiichi-san."

Frowning as if confused by their exchange, Satako bobbed a short bow to the priest, glancing at Haku again and again as she tried to mimic his motions. Shyly she hid behind his knees as the young priest bowed to her with a faint smile before he crossed the threshold and offered the branch again. This Haku accepted graciously, bowing only to have Keiichi hastily bow in return. Haku was obligated to bow in return. After he and Keiichi exchanged yet another bout of bows Satako giggled. Finally the young priest pushed his glasses back up his nose and addressed Haku directly.

"My grandfather has had _hatsuyume_, O-kami-sama. It is his will that I should bring you tidings of his vision."

Haku found himself frowning.

The first dream of the New Year was a powerful omen.

That the elder priest should choose to share it with him was not to be taken lightly.

"What is it that Goshiro-san has seen, young priest?"

Sweat had begun to bead on Keiichi's upper lip.

As he bowed again his glasses slipped right back down his nose.

"Grandfather has seen a mountain gorge full of enormous granite boulders. One is shaped like folding screen. Another is shaped like a pair of scissors. Others balance and pile as if placed by demons. Above it is a reservoir. There are mountains in the distance capped by snow. Do you know this place, O-kami-sama? Grandfather said you would know it."

Strangely, Haku was more than familiar with this place.

Humans built the reservoir right next to Yubaba's Spirit World crossing.

It flooded through at night when the boundaries between the worlds became thin.

The piles of stone in the gorge belonged to the Oni who guarded the original crossing, a cavern tunnel that wound deep into the hills. Yubaba hired the oni to clear and widen that tunnel so unsightly coal could enter by train unseen by the Gods. It was through this tunnel the Forgotten escaped past the river that once held it back.

"I am familiar with the Oni Rocks of Mizunami City."

Keiichi bowed again as if out of nervous habit.

It took every ounce of Haku's self control not to bow back.

"Grandfather cautions you to walk the Nakasendo with care when you seek the counsel of the oracle there, O-kami-sama. He says the stones are tired of being trodden by ungrateful feet. They have grown angry and may turn against travelers."

Haku went perfectly still as again that road rose to haunt him.

His thoughts flew back through time.

Back at the foot of the hill where Chihiro's parents home still stood.

Beneath the branches of the old hinoki whose stones houses held no Gods.

Along the ancient cobbles that led to a gate that still bridged the worlds.

Strange that this journey should begin where it had once before.

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro crouched at the corner of the slider of the women's changing room.

Bozu had left the sliding door to the men's side open.

That meant she could clearly eavesdrop on everything that was going on inside.

Megumi was leaning against the wall beside her listening just as intently.

Obviously uncomfortable, she fidgeted with the belt of her yukata.

"Do you do this a lot?"

Chihiro glanced at her before going back to listening at a crack in the door.

"Gods don't talk a lot. You gotta find other ways to figure out what's going on."

Megumi blinked rapidly as Haku's voice filtered from afar.

At once She was pulling on Chihiro's sleeve, fixing her with a demanding stare.

"You saw Kazue-sensei?"

Scowling now, Chihiro pulled the fabric out of her grip. All this was way too complicated to explain, especially how much that woman had managed to pissed Chihiro off. All the same, listening to Jae shout angrily in the opposite room, Chihiro watched Megumi's face tightened with anger and dismay. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to reveal the other half of that truth, if only for their sake.

"It's not as simple as Jae makes it out to be," Chihiro offered grudgingly, "Kazue didn't _abandon_ you."

Megumi's attention jerked back to her at that.

Already Chihiro could see the questions brewing in the woman's pale eyes.

Chihiro offered the answer because Meg could ask it.

"I don't know how much she knew. She did know what Haku is the moment she saw him. She strategically placed you in Haku's path because she knew he'd take care of you when all this went down."

Megumi looked back at her with a stare so intense it could've cut steel.

"How did she know!"

Chihiro shrugged in exasperation.

"Kazue's like me. Apparently she's wrapped up in all this God stuff."

Chihiro fell silent as Kenka started yelling.

She blinked and blinked because he didn't seem like the yelling type.

It was what Haku had to say in response that knocked Chihiro back onto her heels.

All at once she was forced face to face with the time she and her parents lost back in the summer of 2001. Three days she'd spent in Yubaba's Bath house. But those three days in the Spirit World panned out into weeks and week of human time. She'd lost her entire summer vacation. But even more terrifying had been the six months Haku spent wandering after being freed from his bargain with Yubaba. That had become almost ten years of her human lifetime. There was no way to know how long they would be forced to spend in the Spirit World once they crossed. Like Haku said, it could be months or even years of human time before they returned.

Stunned, Chihiro was forced face to face with the consequences.

To everyone in her mortal life if would seem like she just disappeared.

Her parents, Lydia, everyone who didn't know about the second life she'd chosen.

She would just disappear.

Yanked back to the present Chihiro flinched as Jae shouted distantly. Megumi gave a violent start as Jae talked about her in not so nice terms. Megumi's face went completely blank as she sank to a seat on the floor beside Chihiro. Scrambling to make room for her Chihiro gritted her teeth as she watched stunned tears of outrage gather in the woman's eyes. And it was only because of what Kenka told her that Chihiro understood why Megumi was so upset. Anyone else probably would've thought that the two of them hated each other's guts. They probably did hate each other's guts. But as usual, that was only half the story.

Megumi wasn't the only one upset either. Chihiro jolted as Satako was shouting in dismay. She jerked away from the door as it rattled loudly. Wind surged around the frame as abruptly the girl's voice tapered off. Again Chihiro scrambled out of the way as Megumi threw herself to her feet and hauled open the slider. It violently slammed against the adjacent wall, jumping and screeching in its tracks, making the entire bath wing shake. Across the way through the open door to the men's changing room Chihiro watched as Kenka and Jae jumped and skittered just like the sliding door.

Heat flooded her face as she realized they were only wearing towels.

"Oh, shit!" Jae muttered beneath his breath as he watched Megumi stalked by.

Clutching his towel around his waist he ran after her.

"Meg! Megumi, wait!"

"Fuck you, peasant!" Megumi shouted furiously.

Chouchin darted out into the hall curiously following the sounds of their voices.

Sitting there completely exposed Chihiro blinked as Bozu waved at her.

Red in the face and feeling like an idiot, she waved back.

Kenka was smirking at her as he placed his hands on his hips.

All at once she was studying his feet as her face burned.

He was way too cut and she was staring.

"Are you spying again, Chihiro?"

She cringed guiltily.

"Sorry."

Kenka chuckled, coming over to offer his hand, helping her upright.

"Thanks," Chihiro muttered.

Tucking her hair behind her ears she went back to staring at his toes until Chouchin came tearing back down the hall crackling incandescent red. Kenka yanked her out of the way as Jae came sprinting back down the hall. Chihiro squealed and slapped her hands over her eyes as she realized he was butt naked!

"Ah!" Bozu screeched indignantly, "Why is foul-mouthed human naked!"

_"Dude!"_ Kenka exclaimed as if not sure if he should be pissed or laugh.

Chihiro peeked only to find him still nude and rummaging in the cabinet.

Dancing from foot to foot uncomfortably she closed her eyes for good measure.

Why was her house full of naked, _naked_ men!

Jae chortled breathlessly.

"Man! She took my towel to make me go away! Can you believe it! I didn't think she'd have the balls! But she didn't even blush or nothing!"

Kenka sighed in exasperation.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Jae crowed nastily, "Look what the cat dragged in."

Jerking back her hands Chihiro watched as Michio sulked down the hall. Wait… She was wearing guy's clothes! Suddenly she had a terrible vision of some poor fellow waking up naked only to find his clothes stolen. Tossing her bundled kimono onto the floor in the woman's bath wing, Michio gingerly planted herself on the edge of the bench in the woman's changing room before finally glowering across the hall at Jae like she wanted to bite his head off.

"Fuck you, asshole."

Jae laughed, completely nonplussed by her crass greeting.

At least he was dressed now, wearing one of Onsen's indigo yukata.

"Like I said, sweetheart; happy to oblige anytime."

"Really?" Michio threw back archly, "Because if you hadn't gotten such a hard on for that magic bullshit last night you could've gotten lucky instead of that skinny guy serving drinks downstairs at the bar."

That shut Jae up. He blinked rapidly opening and closing his mouth only to go stock still in surprise as Michio pulled her shirt over her head so she could read the name tag still pinned on the shirt pocket. She wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"Hey, Chihiro? D'you know anybody named Matsuyama?"

With every inch of her face on fire Chihiro scrambled forward and hauled the sliding door to the woman's changing room closed behind her. But before Chihiro could bitch her out Michio dropped the shirt and lurched to her feet, staggering to the door leading to the toilet. Dumping onto the green tiles inside the tiny room she tore up the seat and puked her guts out into the bowl. As she continued to hurl and wretch Chihiro went and got a glass of water from the sink. This she placed on the ground within reaching distance as Michio hung from the edge of the toilet gasping for air and making all kinds of unhappy sounds.

"You okay?" Chihiro murmured gently.

Michio shuddered violently, turning her face away.

"Fuck off."

Chihiro snorted mildly.

"Happy New Year to you too."

"Just go away, Chihiro," Michio slurred morosely, "I'm still drunk and pissed and I don't want to do anything else I regret."

Ah. So that explained the shirt incident. Sitting back on her heels Chihiro looked on feeling more than sorry for her friend. Gods, she was such a mess. At least she wasn't wearing a shirt. But at least whatever hadn't ended up in the toilet bowl would at least wash off. Scooting into the stall Chihiro tried to extricate her friend from the floor.

"C'mon, Michi. Let's get you cleaned up."

Lurching sideways she sprawled, pined herself between the wall and the toilet.

"Are you stupid or somethin'! I told you t'go away!"

Exasperated, Chihiro was pulling on her arm again.

"I'm just trying to help! Gods, you're such a mess!"

Michio resisted, snarling as she ripped herself free.

Reeling back her fist she punched Chihiro in the mouth.

It knocked her backwards onto the carpet so hard she saw stars.

She could taste blood in her mouth as she flopped onto her side.

"I don't want your_ fucking help! _I don't _need_ you! I don't want any of this _shit!"_

Chihiro could barely hear Michio over the ringing in her ears.

Heaving herself upright Chihiro lurched away.

Hauling the sliding door open she stumbled into the hall.

Bright light flooded through the sliders, blinding her momentarily.

She tripped on the ledge leading into the welcome station.

She would've fallen if Suzume hadn't caught her.

Chihiro ran right into the fox. Stunned and numb, Chihiro stared up at him as the fox gently lifted her chin with his frozen hand. His uneven hair fell around his face in a white curtain to match his simple colorless robes. Only his feral gold eyes held color. They burned with silent fury as he stared at the blood on her mouth. Panic surged in her chest as he turned toward the bath wing.

_"She didn't mean it!"_

Chihiro hissed through her teeth even though it hurt like hell! But even as she caught his arm and pulled with all her might her bare feet squeaked against the boards, burning with hot friction as he dragged her down the hall. Suzume growled beneath his breath. The sound made her insides scramble up into her throat on a surge of terror as her knees all but dissolved.

Because he didn't have to obey to her anymore.

All the same she pleaded with him to listen.

_"Please, Suzume!" _

Abruptly the fox came to a halt as her voice went shrill.

Suzume barked low and sharp, making her jump.

He chewed the words as if trying to tear them to pieces.

"She drew _blood_, child!"

Even though it was no use Chihiro pulled him in the opposite direction.

All the same, she pulled insistently finding strange a calm in that moment.

Whatever it was made her words more than compelling.

It turned out to be truth.

"Whatever it is you plan to do or say nothing will come close to how bad she's going to feel when she sobers up. Just leave it, okay?"

For some reason he flinched as if what she'd said had struck him.

Glancing up she found his pale face stricken with distant memory.

Without another word the fox turned.

Threading his arm around her waist Suzume briskly marshaled her up the front stairs and into Mrs. Nikkou's room. She stumbled along as directed because she really didn't have much of a choice. As the door closed behind them, folding the room in an obscuring darkness, the fox eased her to a seat on the foot of the old woman's bed. The cat was curled into a tight knot on one of the corners. She woke with a violent start, bristling out as she shied from with wide eyed surprise.

Ignoring Cinna, Suzume sat seiza at Chihiro's feet. Leaning close, he took hold of her chin with his frozen hand. Even after all this time it still smelled faintly of burned charcoal. Camphor and sweet, musty, spicy things almost like incense; she loved the way Suzume smelled. Chihiro obeyed as he tipped it back, trying not to cringe as carefully he drew a finger across the split in her lip. It stung like a _bitch_, making her squirm and grit her teeth! But he held onto her chin as she resisted, making her jaw ache. Chihiro stared at his face, fixating to endure the pain.

The fox's features tightened with concentration.

She'd forgotten how handsome he was.

His eerie golden eyes flashed as an electric shock jumped between them.

Sitting back Suzume released her chin and the breath he had been holding.

Frowning mildly, he wiped at her mouth with the corner of his sleeve.

Chihiro blinked rapidly as the pain in her mouth was gone.

Her lip tingled eerily, making the burn on her thigh give a sympathetic tickle.

She wiggled her jaw experimentally and found it didn't hurt

Unfortunately there wasn't anything the fox could do for the ache in her chest.

Disappointment burned in her heart like an open wound. It hurt way more than any punch to the face. Numbly Chihiro reminded herself this was the way Michio coped with things she couldn't handle. Chihiro would never understand why Michio felt like she had to prove she didn't need anyone or anything when really the opposite was true. It was obvious that Michio was scared stupid of losing people she cared about. But the moment someone looked like they might actually stick around Michio would self-sabotage. Invariable she'd get drunk and gather up the things she cared about most so she could try to break them. Usually this took shape as epic screaming matches that involved throwing Tetris blocks. But no matter how loud she yelled, no matter what kind of messed up stuff Michio summoned to taunt her with, Chihiro could always see through her antagonism to the bitter fear motivating her friend.

But this was this was the first time Michio'd ever hit her.

This time Michio drew blood.

Chihiro's insides tightened with cold as premonition brewed over her head.

Something had changed between them; something irreversible.

Not knowing what it was scared Chihiro stupid.

Cinna padded over and rubbed her face against her back. Chihiro blinked in surprise realizing fat tears were rolling down her cheeks. The cat hugged her from behind, purring and purring until Chihiro was vibrating with her affection. Cinna rubbed her face back and forth against the top of her head with such exuberance Chihiro found herself wincing again. Hastily she wiped at her cheeks fighting a frail smile. It was hard to cry when a cat was mauling you with affection.

"Enough, Okesa." Suzume commanded gently.

Cinna released Chihiro only to curl up around her still purring, plucking and kneading the quilt with her claws. The fox stood, bowing at the altar before crossing the room. Glancing at the memorial Chihiro stared at Reika's photo. The old woman beamed out of the frame over the edge of her gold rimmed glasses, pulling Chihiro's heart into a tight knot of sadness. Then the fox emerged from the closet full of memories. Reverently he carried a medium-sized box. It wasn't quite a suitcase but it wasn't a trunk either. This he placed at her feet without further explanation.

"That is for you, child. I should have given it to you sooner."

Cinna went bolt still as she caught sight of the box, fur standing on end and eyes dilating until the red of her irises disappeared. At once she sprinted from the room with a violent hiss. The only evidence of her passing was a gust of air and the sound of the door snicking shut. Chihiro jittered sideways, looking back and forth between the door and the fox in open-mouthed surprise before gesturing after the cat.

"W-what was that about!"

Suzume sighed in aggravation, turning away to pace as he said nothing.

Baffled and intrigued, Chihiro pulled the box closer.

Her bell in her heart hummed sleepily as she found herself mesmerized by the fittings. The bronze was so old it'd turned completely green. The latch and the hinges were shaped like tiny oni, grimacing and glaring comically. Grabbing and turning the tongue of the oni that was the front lock, the mechanism clicked like a winding clock. Finally it snapped, darting inward so that the lip popped, lifting a fraction as the heady smell of camphor wood escaped the interior. Opening the top it the rest of the way open Chihiro gaped in surprise.

The mask inside flashed like a burst of liquid fire as it caught filters of sun. She hadn't seen the phoenix since summer matsuri. Mrs. Nikkou loaned it to her for the day. Looking at it now Chihiro realized it wasn't just any mask. It was made of magic, soaked through with the touch of the Spirit World. Lifting it out, she studied the gorgeous gold edges rounded by layers upon layers of cinnabar lacquer. Demurely the mask smiled secretively, the corners of the oculars and mouth curved up into curls to match the flowing feather motifs that gently shaped the brow into a comb outlined in solid gold leaf.

It was camphor wood.

She could smell the raw red scent emanating from its interior.

It almost felt hot beneath her fingers.

Unnerved, she sat it on the bed beside her only to find a wad of indigo rags neatly folded beneath. Thinking that it was just packing material Chihiro fished it out and was about to toss it aside. But then it fell open in her hands, revealing what she mistook for trash was actually a folded robe. Surprised, Chihiro shook it out only to find it was a narrow sleeved kimono patched together from hundreds of variegated strips of indigo cloth that had gone velvet to the touch with use. Some where delicately patterned, others were solid, some darker than black, other pale as forget-me-nots. Slowly her surprise turned to astonishment as she realized the patches were actually carefully pieced patterns. Her mouth fell open in awe as she realized the stitched motifs were actually foxfire! Twining blue flames coiled in licking tongues from every hem, collar, and cuff picked out in long lines of delicate white quilted stitching. More indigo fire danced in endless curls up the narrow sleeves and across the yoked shoulders.

Nothing she owned, not even the gorgeous kimono Onsen had loaned her, could compare to the coat's earthy texture and fascinating networks of stitchery. It had never occurred to her to do something like this. She'd never in her life even held a sewing needle. People just didn't save and reuse fabric like this anymore. They just threw away anything old, shabby, or unwanted. But the jacket had to be one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen! She'd never seen anything like it! (1)

Then Chihiro recognized one of the newest patches.

It was rougher than the other patches.

The color of the indigo dye was the brightest.

There was no mistaking Onsen's yukata fabric.

She wore it often enough to know it immediately.

Then all at once Chihiro understood. The jacket probably belonged to Mrs. Nikkou! Before her it probably belonged to Mrs. Nikkou's mom and her mom before it! Each woman must have made repairs and embellishments, adding a touch of their personal flair through the selection and placement of scraps from their used-up clothes, continuing the jacket's story as they stitched their mark into the jacket's fabric. The warp and weft buzzed with both age and magic. Chihiro gathered it close in her hands, breathing in the heady smell of camphor that clung to the fibers.

Tears of shame stung her eyes as she rubbed her nose in the cloth.

She held in her hands history itself.

And her first reaction was to call it trash.

Reverently laying the jacket aside she peered back into the box wondering what else was inside. Next she produced a pair of voluminous trousers ingeniously patched from dark and light fabric to form inverted chevron patterns across both legs. They were super cool and looked really comfy. Tucked into its folds was a pair of tabi and wide leg wrappings shed seen monks wear. Both were dyed in indigo so dark they were almost black. Binding these together was a narrow obi made of long thin strips of the palest blue quilted in close curling spirals of more dark indigo threads. Underneath these she found another set of robes made out of nubby cream-colored raw silk too soft and thin to be anything but underwear.

Here Chihiro paused as the bottom of the box seemed to grow further away. It became deeper and deeper until her whole arm disappeared inside. Slowly she drew out a long narrow envelope of lavishly brocaded fabric. Just touching it made her insides race and scramble with shudders of cold magic. Already she knew what was inside. Carefully she folded back the material with shaking fingers, holding her breath. Echoing with age, Mrs. Nikkou's bow and red fletched arrow gleamed in the dark. Slowly, as if afraid it might scold her for handling it improperly, Chihiro returned the bow and arrow it to their covering. With careful reverence she laid these on the bed beside her because there were still more things inside the endless fascinating box!

The next bundle let loose a muffled jingle that made Suzume shudder and shift. Inside Chihiro found an ancient red lacquered handle festooned at the hilt with five colored ribbons and embellished in tarnished metal fittings. Fed through the thick coiled wire were a score of greened bronze bells that just like the one's Kazue had used. Holding her breath Chihiro muffled it back up before carefully setting it down without making another sound. Next she found a long string of carnelian jewels shaped like commas. They looked just like the blue jewel Hidé gave her but bigger.

The last thing in the box was another drawstring bag. It was made of padded black silk as if to protect the globe shaped object inside. Whatever it was seemed hollow. It was extremely light. Untying the black ribbon she peered inside only to loose a violent shriek. Dropping it back into the box Chihiro jumped up, knocking right into Suzume.

It was a skull! A bleached _human_ skull complete with jaw hinged in gold wire!

Pulling on Suzume's sleeves Chihiro pointed at thing in insistent horror.

"Enough, child!"

The fox batted at her hands, dislodging her panic as he growled irritably.

"Do not ask me what they do for I do not know! This is _human_ magic, not kami. These belonged to Reika. Before her they belonged to her mother and her mother's mother. Now they, and the mysteries that accompany, belong to you."

Still in a panic she stared at the strange objects at a complete loss.

Taking a deep breath Chihiro fought to find calm, forcing herself to stillness.

Because she'd seen much worse than a human skull.

She could handle a bit of bone after what'd happened in the spider caverns. As if summoned by the thought her insides crawled in frozen horror as the she remembered the brittle pop of spider casings beneath the grinding motorcycle wheels. She could feel the cold flecks of wet the glistening tires threw up in her face; taste the stale musty air and smell the terrible sweet stink of burning flesh. At once sick to her stomach as the blood froze inside her veins, Chihiro remember that she'd _killed_ things! Her fingers tips tingled with the searing memory of fire she'd rained into a chorus of shrill ghastly screams. She almost clamped her hands over her ears to stop the sounds inside her head!

Haunted by death she stared at the skull.

It looked back at her with hollow eyes.

Its two front teeth were missing making it grin with grisly humor.

Tightening her hands into fists Chihiro glared back because there was nothing funny about any of this! In a blinding rush of white-hot sorrow that made it hard to breathe Chihiro found herself wishing Mrs. Nikkou was still here. She would've been happy to see her creepy little-kid ghost even though the brat had all but pushed her off a cliff. Mrs. Nikkou seemed to think she had nothing left to teach her. Boy was she wrong.

True, Chihiro had experienced way more than the average human when it came to kami.

All the same, an idiot that kept their mouth shut was still an idiot.

She was beginning to get a handle on her fire. She didn't need a lighter to get it started anymore. But that didn't mean it worked all the time. Remembering the way her fire had fizzled out when Aki came after her in the shrine grotto Chihiro's insides went bleak with cold. Likewise, just because she didn't freak out around kami didn't mean she understood them. Chihiro was still trying to wrap her brain around how to be a functional human. Kami etiquette included a baffling set of protocols and rituals she knew absolutely nothing about. Her strained exchange with Kazue was evidence of that. Even though he tried really, _really_ hard to help her understand, Haku was an inherently cryptic person. Lin was way better than him at explaining kami related stuff.

But Lin was gone; so was Mrs. Nikkou.

Chihiro'd lost both of her teachers.

It was becoming painfully obvious she was going to have to figure this out herself.

Suzume sighed, leading her back to a seat at the foot of the futon so he could stretch out on quilt as if exhausted. As he did the fox rolled over and made a pillow out of her knee. Chihiro jumped in surprise nearly dislodging him because his cheek was burning cold! Again Suzume sighed in gusty irritation as he settled once more, placing one of her hand on his hair, wordlessly encouraging her to smooth the tangled mess. Hastily she began running a hand over his head absently worrying if this counted as petting. But he didn't relax, not even as she carefully picked out the snarls, fanning the uneven mess of his pale silky mane out across her leg. She could feel the tension radiating from his body as finally he spoke.

"Tell me now, child."

Suzume demanded beneath his breath.

"Tell me what you saw of Hayashimi."

It was more of a plea than a command.

Chihiro's insides went cold as she realized she never did tell him what she saw. Taking a deep breath against the sudden surge of terror that filled her throat with a tight pinch, she closed her eyes. Even as her heart thrilled in her chest, she struggled to sort through the foggy flashes Sengen's mirror had dumped into her head. She tiptoed through the shards of light as if they were broken pieces of glass afraid her hands might come away red if she touched them. Already a strange premonition was creeping across her skin. Cold sweat headed on her upper lip as the bell hummed a low tone. She jolted in surprise as it sounded again in the ear of her mind.

Because it wasn't a bell; it was the hollow breathy far off whistle.

As her eyes flew open Chihiro gasped.

Suzume jolted upright beside her, seizing her by the arms.

His hands hurt as they squeezed, but she didn't feel

The ghost of an image flashed in the back of her eyes just for a second.

But with it the uncertainty that pushed her to do stupid things died in her heart.

Chihiro reached unconsciously for what she'd seen.

Her hand stretched to the east, pointing without realizing it.

It was the direction where she'd heard the whistle blow.

"Aki was right!"

Chihiro breathed in amazement.

"They're on that train!"

* * *

**Notes:**

(1) Boro literally translated as, "rags," or "scraps of cloth." The term boro is also used to describe clothes and household items which have been patched-up and repaired many times. Boro derived from the Japanese value mottainai,which translated as, 'too good to waste'. Boro is the type of fabric that was worn by peasants, merchants or artisans in Japan from the Edo era all the way through early Showa (1600s – early 1900s). It is a type of noragi, i.e. peasant wear. The beauty of boro fabric is the highly sophisticated sewing and weaving techniques used by the women who made it. Daily use would require frequent repair but that's part of the beauty. Each patch and every stitch improves the beauty of the garment. Thanks to the ingenuity of these women the garments could be maintained throughout the owner's lifetime and even longer. As a result, Boro has become highly collectible as it represents the height of _Yuyo-no-bi,_ which translates are, "The beauty of practicality." This is a concept rare and all but forgotten in today's consumer society.


	15. Chapter 15

**LIN**

Trapping the rice bowl between her knees Lin scooped the contents into her mouth with her bare hand, stuffing her face so full she could barely chew let alone breathe. She managed both, snatching up the soup, spilling some down her front as greedily she gulped down the savory tangy brew. Dropping the vessel onto the floor she turned back to the empty rice bowl, using her filthy fingers to pick out and eat every last grain. She didn't even remember guzzling the cup of tea. It burned her mouth and throat but she didn't care. The food barely filled the aching pit inside her belly that screamed for more. Gods above, she was so _hungry!_ Lin searched the gloom for her soup bowl, seriously considering licking it clean.

Only then did she realize Tomoe was staring at her.

It was nearly impossible to see him in the thick dark of her cell.

But her eyes were adjusting.

The ghost's face was a blank mask of alarm.

Wiping her mouth on the back of her only hand Lin glared at him.

"What?"

The ghost blinked endless jet eyes before lowering his head in an apologetic bow.

_ "Shall I find you more food, Lin-sama?"_

She almost said yes. Instead Lin picked up Umi's knife, inspecting the point and edge to make sure she hadn't damaged it before secreting it away into the inner fold of her obi. Lin fought the nagging tug of exhaustion as the lolling motion of the train continued to rock her from side to side. Pinning Tomoe in place with her gaze she grimaced as her stomach growled loudly.

"No. I'm worried you might not come back."

The ghost frowned as if wanting to argue but she wasn't paying attention anymore. Already her insides were twisting with fear. Tightening her hand into a fist against her knee Lin hurriedly hissed the words beneath her breath half afraid someone might hear.

"Have you seen my kits?"

Again he nodded slowly, making her want to grab and shake him.

_ "Shurui has them in the main car. Ikiri-san is there as well."_

Forced upright by the anxious vice winding her insides tighter and tighter, Lin stalked back and forth in the tiny cell. Grinding her teeth she tightened her only hand in the snarled mess of her hair trying not to throw herself at the unlocked door and go off in search of her babies. Sick with wanting and worry, it was impossible to think about anything else! The ghost glided aside, taking a seat on one of the rotting benches, silently watching her pace like the trapped animal she was. The intensity of his gaze made her skin skitter and crawl, reminding her too much of the way the shadows used to stare at her from the nooks and crannies of Yubaba's broken bath house once the gaki got loose.

_ "If you wish it, Lin-sama, I will free you from this place. We could follow from afar. We could seek an opportunity to reclaim your children."_

She lurched to stillness as Tomoe's quiet offer nearly got swallowed by another blast of the train's whistle. Again she burned with shame as the promise of freedom tipped the scales in her heart. Already she had been offered this chance. Shurui had bargained with her for Kokoro. She'd refused that bargain and now Shurui could use her daughter as leverage to make Lin stay. There was no knowing what the spider bitch would do to her daughter if Lin ran off now. Probably give her to the bat. Nauseous horror threatened to make Lin loose what she'd eaten. She staggered backwards and dumped onto the opposite seat. Bent beneath the crushing weight of worry Lin pressed her face into her only hand, lightheaded and shaky with terror.

"No," she choked between her fingers, "I won't leave me kits."

Again the ghost stirred and fidgeted as if wanting to argue. But he kept his peace. Lin was extremely grateful for that. It wasn't his fault, but she probably would've gone after him with the knife again out of sheer spite had he argued.

_ "What then is your will, Lin-sama?"_

"Call me Lin, Tomoe," she bit back irritably, "You make me nervous with all that lord and lady crap."

Grabbing hold of her anger she used it to smash the helpless terror quaking in the marrow of her bones. Letting it burn and scorch her insides, Lin fell back on old habits. Opening the door on the darker half of her soul born in the battles she'd fought and lost in the broken pit of Yubaba's bath house, Lin let loose the murderous bloodlust she'd used to hunt down the gaki that killed her friends. Again she used the terrible emotions to summon an unbending strength born of the bitter need for revenge. Slowly the cold spread through her heart, coursing through her veins as she transformed herself to stone. With a detached calm that hid all of the rage in her heart Lin told the ghost exactly what she was going to do.

"I'm going to stay here. I'll wait as long as I have to. I do whatever that spider bitch commands me to make it seem like I've broken. But I won't break. One way or another I _will_ kill her! I _will_ take back my babies and I _will_ get them out of this hell!"

As Lin continued to silently boil and froth the ghost sighed despairingly.

_ "As you wish, Lin-sama. I shall remain with you until it is so."_

Glaring at him again as his bleak tone riled her hackles, Lin bared sharp teeth. But before she could bite back at him Tomoe's head jerked up. Lin recoiled from his swiftness as the ghost surged toward the door listening intently.

_ "Someone is coming!"_

Lin knocked back against the wall as at once he whirled, floating weightlessly and completely unaffected by the lurching sway of the car. Gathering the bowls and cups back onto the tray, Lin's insides scramble uncomfortably as Tomoe turned, at once wearing the vacant-eyed face of a young woman as he became a spider. He was dressed in the same black, red, and yellow striped kimono he had turned up in earlier. The ruse he was wearing wore her long oiled tresses were piled up on her head in a ridiculously ornate fashion Lin want to rip down and pull out hair by hair. Her flashy obi bore the hour-glass pattern that marked all the spiders. Standing there expectantly finally tipping from side to side with the motion of the room, Tomoe smiled vapidly at the door.

It flew open, slamming against the wall, making Tomoe jump and shy.

A second spider sputtered furiously filling the doorway with her tall frame.

She was dressed from head to toe in the black lacquered armor of a soldier.

Her many hands were holding sharp lances of silk at the ready.

"You little idiot! Why is this door unlocked! Where is Yaeko!"

Her pale face was tight with fury inside the winged helmet strapped to her pointed shin. This spider was much older, long faced and sharp-toothed. There was a new wound on her cheek stitched closed with silk. Her hard red eyes were shrewd and her movement controlled in the way only someone who knew how to fight properly would move. The other scars on her nose and forehead were proof of that.

Tomoe cowered, falling to his knees trembling visibly as he hid under the tray.

The cups and bowls rattled loudly as he stuttered in a shrill female voice.

"D-d-don't know where Yaeko-san went, o-nee-san! T-t-told me t'bring food to t'weasel. D-d-didn't know Yaeko-san had left! Sorry, o-nee-san! Sorry!"

Bowing and bowing, Tomoe spilled the cups and bowls from the tray. The soldier spider snorted as she looked on in annoyance as Tomoe scramble to gather them up as they rolled and spun in the rocking gait of the train's chugging. Watching from the corner of her eyes Lin was impressed. The ghost was good. Earlier he'd been smooth and convincing with the other guard. Now he easily he became an empty headed simpleton. Lin wouldn't've looked twice unless she knew otherwise. Thoroughly duped, the soldier spider sighed, obviously feeling sorry for scaring Tomoe.

"Just don't do it again, little sister. This one is not to be trusted."

Lin flinched as the spider's hard stare turned to her.

Instantly she folded in on herself in a ruse of meekness.

Unconvinced, the spider pointed at her with a sharp lance of silk.

"You! Come with me. Mother told me I could kill you if you try anything. She doesn't need you anymore. We've got plenty of sisters on board who can wet nurse."

Lin blinked in confusion.

What did she mean plenty of sisters?

Before she could consider it further the guard moved out of the frame pointing down the hall with one of the lances of silk. Moving slow and stiff as if every inch of her body hurt, Lin struggled upright into the deception of exhaustion. It took every ounce of her self control not to glance at Tomoe as she limped out of the cell, tipping unsteadily as the car gave a sideways jerk. Iron shutters covered the windows in the corridor outside, but dim light spilled down the hall emanating from the pallid mushi trapped in glass bulbs affixed to the ceiling. They listed back and forth inside their prisons as the car continued to sway. The ancient interior of the corridor was soaked through and nearly rotting with age, smelling strongly of rust and other old human scents. Lin flinched as a sharp point pricked her back.

"Move!" The solider commanded.

Lin lurched forward, bracing her hand against the wall as the floor pitched. Closed iron doors passed her by one after the other until all that remained was narrow latched door. Wind gusted through as she opened it, flooding the rickety connection between the cars. Drowning in the roaring _clickity-click_ of wheels and the shrill screech of metal on metal, Lin's stomach scrambled away from the gap between the cars she was forced to step across. All the same, her insides thrilled again at the dusty dry scent of mountains that hung just out of reach. Splinters of daylight filtered in through cracks in the narrow accordion plastic hull that connected the cars.

The spider hissed behind her, shoving her through the opposite sliding door.

Lin spilled forward into another corridor.

This one, however, teemed with laughter and music.

The happy sounds slapped Lin in the face. They surfaced out of the roar of wind as the spider hauled the door behind her shut. Forced forward again by the sharp point of the soldier's lance, Lin stumbled past the glass windows of the compartments filling this car. No iron shutters here. Inside each young sweet-faced god women laughed and chattered as they drank tea and sake, eating bowls of rice and playing cards, some barely more than children. Shamisen and biwa twanged in their hands their sweet voices sang in choruses that struck a harsh chord of memory in her heart. Their voices reminded her far too much how the way Natsumi would sing with Hiko and Ginka. Some turned to stare at her in terrified awe as the soldier forced her by; their round red eyes full of terror as if she was some kind of monster. Their voices and songs silenced as she passed. Lin stared back at them dumbstruck with horror as the ruse of her tremulous knees became real.

Every single last one of them was a spider.

Gold and silver hour-glasses gleamed in the light of the mushi.

But these weren't the black-shelled monsters that had destroyed her home.

These women weren't even the hard faced solider at her back.

Stunned and ill with confusion Lin stumbled as the car lurched.

She caught the rail outside a compartment before she could fall.

Lin came nose to nose with a spider on the opposite side of the glass.

She stared in horror at the young mother.

Hastily the spider hid her baby, cringing with a shriek of fear.

"Move! Can't you see you're scaring them!"

The soldier shoved her forward with an angry bark.

Dead on her feet, Lin threw herself forward, desperate to escape the sight of the tiny white face cradled in the mother's many arms. Again they scrambled through another joint between cars. Lin's knees went weak once more on the opposite side, but this time because of the wall of delicious smells that waited for her. Sweltering heat radiated off the walls, making Lin instantly break out in a sweat, because a kitchen filled the entire length of this car. Just ahead of them yawned a well stocked pantry of canned goods and other human sundries in such quantity Lin was left wondering just how many spiders were on the train. A mountain of dishes listed and clinked in the sloshing sinks beyond. Beyond these gigantic pots boiled great clouds of steam smelling strongly of miso. Fish tails protruded from wide sizzling pans. Red licking flames of human fire burst between the grates of an enormous stove beneath, throwing wild shadows down the long narrow space as humming exhaust fans whizzed and whirred in the ceiling.

At the center of the kitchen was Kubi.

The God woman's sleeves were trussed behind her back. Her green kimono was drenched with sweat that made her upswept hair wilt. She was bent over the long narrow cutting board that divided the car in two. A sea of bowls listed and skittered across the surface. Into each the blank faced prisoner doled a large scoop of steamed rice. She hauled along a massive rice pot even though she looked ready to keel over. But she endured the work without complaint and all because of the iron collar around her neck. On the other side of the long narrow work table was a very unhappy soldier spider. She was shorter than and not nearly as self-possessed as her sister. Anxiously eyeing the human fire, she leaned away as far as possible. But she couldn't get far because of the leash she held in her hands. She had to follow back and forth in Kubi's shadow as the unfortunate God woman worked.

Upon seeing them the second spider stomped her foot petulantly.

"My shift has been over for almost an hour, Shimizu!"

The littler spider complained loudly, sounding more like a child than a solider.

Glancing from their corners Kubi's eyes went perfectly sound as she saw them.

They stared at each other without blinking as they passed.

Again the stranger's gaze soaked Lin through with her silent intensity.

If only she could hear all the things rattling around in that woman's head!

The taller spider snorted at her sister in annoyance as she shoved Lin forward.

"Quit complaining, Juna. You'll be done soon enough."

Lin's insides went cold because they argued like siblings.

Juna cringed as the stove flames hissed, appealing again to Shimizu.

"Find Haru, will you! I bet she's hiding so she doesn't have to take her shift."

The littler spider was frowning as Lin approached.

Quickly her frown became a glare.

"You better be nice to Fumiko or I'll kill you myself."

"Fumiko can take care of herself," Shimizu bit back irritably.

Propelling Lin through the far door and another gut-wrenching wind buffeted car crossing, they passed into yet another coach only to discover the floor and walls made entirely of reddish wood. These had been cleaned to a sparkling finish whereas the rest of the train had been left to rot. The dim air was thick with humidity that smelled sharply of wet cedar. Instantly the scent triggered Lin's memories of Onsen. Stunned, she was left at the mercy of sudden tears as her throat closed painfully. Swallowing angrily, Lin gritted her teeth and fought the visceral response as it surged in her chest beyond her control. In that moment another spider emerged from a compartment in a plume of herbal scented steam. Fumiko's long hair was sensibly knotted on top of her head. The perfect oval face was a vision of ideal beauty except for her terrible red eyes. Dressed in a red and black checkered yukata bound with a narrow yellow obi kilted high to leave her white legs bare, the spider greeted the soldier with a well mannered bow.

"Hello, Shimizu-san."

Bobbing an awkward bow the guard heaved Lin forward.

"Clean this one up, will you Fumiko? Mother wants her presentable. Careful, though; I hear this one is tricky. I'll be right outside if she tries anything."

Without any of her sister's grace Shimizu plunked down on the bench that ran the length of the corridor. Skewering her spears into the wood floor she took off her helmet with one pair of hands, smoothing her matted hair with another as the last pair produced a fan to waft her already sweat beaded face. The bath attendant spider took all of this in with a mild moue.

"Must you ruin my floor, Shimizu-san? I have worked hard to see them clean."

The soldier broke off the end of one of her lances and used it to pick her teeth.

"Don't get too attached, Fumi-chan. We're not going to be here long."

Lin flinched as the bath attendant turned her back on the soldier only to bow to her with the same civility she had showed her sister. Lin was left gaping, flabbergasted by her civility. Opening the door she had just emerged from inside Lin could see the gleam of bath tiles. Fumiko gestured with more than one set of hands that made Lin extremely nervous.

"This way, please."

As Lin hesitated the soldier planted her foot on Lin's rear and pushed hard.

Lin caught herself on the frame to keep from falling.

"You heard her, weasel woman. Get going."

"Shimizu!" Her sister scolded angrily, "She's a guest!"

Again the soldier spider snorted, this time forebodingly.

"No. She's a prisoner. And don't you forget it."

Seeing red again, Lin gritted her teeth to the point that something snapped in her jaw, quickly entered the wash room to keep herself from turning and dissecting the soldier spider limb by limb. Once inside Lin came up short as Fumiko followed and shut the door behind them. Lin forgot the spider, staring stupidly at the tiny but gracious appointments of the narrow dressing room. Three times as many mushi clambered in the glass bells affixed to the ceiling, filling the room with bright light that made Lin's eyes hurt. There was a low table and two sitting cushion on of all things a tiny berth of tatami mat. A scroll painting hung in a nook on the far wall swaying side to side as again the train's whistle shrilled its hollow screech. Through an open adjacent sliding door Lin could see the eddying water in the large wooden tub set into a recess in the austere grout and tile floor humans seemed to favor. Lin frowned at the ceramic wishing it was wood.

"May I help you?"

Lin jerked away as the spider put a hand on the tie of her obi. Without realizing it she had whirled with her balled fist raised. Fumiko knocked back against the wall turning her face aside as she cringed behind the flock of her pale pretty hands. But the spider didn't call for help even though fear was plain in her bloody red eyes. Grinding her teeth, again it took every shred of Lin's self control not to smash in the spider's beautiful face. Chewing a score of hideous insults Lin forced herself to lower her hand and spit out a single civil word.

"No!"

Somewhat shakily the spider nodded, wordlessly motioning to the bath with her tremulous hand. Lin turned and stared at the tub. There was a wooden stool beside it on which was a small bucket. Inside a white wash cloth and cake of soap waited patiently. On the wall hook hung a clean spider silk yukata. Half of her wanted to refuse it just to spite the spider. The other half wanted to dive in head first. As her skin itched with filth and dried blood Lin caved. Striding through, she slammed the slider in the spider's face.

Carefully loosened her obi Lin concealed Umi's knife in the folds of the fabric before dumping the soap and the washcloth onto the tiles. She plunked herself onto the edge of the stool before dipping a bucket of water out of the big tub. Into this Lin inverted her head, soaking her hair thoroughly before dumped the contents over her shoulders. She gasped as the boiling hot water crawled across her scalp, running through the long mess of her hair as it poured across her naked body.

Seizing the soap she fiercely lathered her skin and hair before reaching for the cloth. Scrubbing savagely, she scoured her skin until the cloth had turned red with dried blood. Dumping bucket after bucket of water over her head more red ran in rivulets across the beige tiles, swirling down the drain recessed in the floor. Finally clean, Lin retreated to the tub. Tucking her lanky legs, she just fit. But the hot water barely came to her waist. She had used up the rest. Pulling a surly moue she wished it higher, wanting it lapping under her chin.

As if hearing her thought Fumiko entered.

The spider carried in a heavy bucket of steaming water to replenish the tub.

"Get out!" Lin thundered, seriously considering throwing the soap.

The spider ignored her, coming in anyway to pour the boiling water into the tub.

Lin shrank and gasped as the hot water surged and sloshed up under her chin.

Wiping her forehead, the spider bowed.

"I have been asked to serve you on this journey."

Lin spit a sarcastic laugh right in her face.

"Do you really think Shurui will let me live long to need a servant?"

Fumiko went absolutely pale. One of her hands lifted to cover her pretty mouth as strange fleeting shadow of sorrow soaked her face through. Baffled, Lin studied her intensely trying to make sense of it. Seeing her scrutiny Fumiko quickly fled back into the sitting room. Glad she was finally gone Lin hunkered down into the water trying to enjoy it. But what she'd seen gnawed at her with unrelenting persistence.

Perhaps there was another opportunity here?

Doing her best to wring out the water in her hair with her only hand, Lin struggled into the white yukata and used her teeth to tie a rude knot. Her skin prickled uncomfortably as the spider silk material eerily glided against her scars. The empty sleeve drooped as it slid off the point of her shoulder where they should have been an arm. Arguing with the fabric, tugging it back and forth, Lin hooked the sliding door to the sitting room open with her toe and glared through at Fumiko. The spider didn't look up as she produced a vial of hair oil and an expensive looking boxwood comb, offering them with forced cheer.

"May I brush your hair?"

Lin's bristly response was automatic.

"No!"

Stymied, Fumiko set these aside, turning instead to gesture toward a kimono hanging on a clothing rail. Lin stared in horror at the hideous _yellow_ thing even as the spider ran her hands over the hem in obvious excitement.

"Isn't it lovely? May I help you dress?"

_ "No!"_

Crestfallen, Fumiko stared at the ground in a loss.

"You must dress."

Lin glared viciously at the kimono, wanting to tear it to shreds.

Instead she paced the edge of the room.

"I said no."

Restlessly flustering her many hands, the spider took a seat at the low table and poured her a cup of tea. To this she gestured pleadingly, speaking beneath her breath as if afraid someone might be listening.

"I am only trying to be kind. You and I must grow accustomed to each other else I fear you will not require my service for very long."

Lin fell to stillness as the spider lift her bloody eyes.

This time Fumiko returned her gaze unflinching.

Lin gritted her teeth as she absorbed the veiled warning.

It left her wondering why the spider would even bother to offer her advice. Two spiders had tried to help her before.

Grimly Lin remembered their names.

Ritsuko was dead; beheaded by Shurui.

Lin had never seen Kuromi again after that.

But still; two had risked their lives to defy their mother.

Perhaps more would rise to do the same?

"Where are we going?"

Lin demanded out of the blue as she plopped onto the cushion. Rudely she downed her tea in one gulp, earning herself the same moue Fumiko had turned on Shimizu in the hall. Evasively dropping her eyes, the spider poured her more tea.

"How did you loose your arm?"

Lin's only hand paused on the way to claiming her cup.

Question for a question; answer for an answer; she hated this Godish game.

Apparently the spider thought she could put Lin off by asking something personal.

Without hesitation Lin pulled down her collar and exposed the stump of her arm.

Shocked by the sudden sight, the spider was forced to look.

Her pretty white face crumpled up in horror as she recoiled.

All six of her hands flew to cover her mouth.

"I was trying to save one of my sisters. A Forgotten had gotten a hold of her. I wouldn't let go so it pulled my arm off and took them both."

Carefully Lin answered choosing her words strategically.

Manipulation was not her strong point but this wasn't a lie.

The yuna and the frogmen had become her brothers and sisters.

Unfortunately she'd only realized that after most had been stolen.

"You survived an encounter with a _Forgotten_!"

Lin watched carefully as Fumiko hushed under her breath in quiet dread.

Her face was still tight with fear that glittered in her blood red eyes.

Lin found herself frowning in bewilderment.

Strange that monsters should be afraid of monsters.

"I didn't just survive. I hunted the thing down _burned_ it to ash with human fire."

The spider was stunned, leaning close as she blinked up at her in awe.

"You killed it!"

Lin nodded grimly.

"That's where these came from."

Lin pointed at her face, indicating the ugly red scars there before pulling her collar back up and covering the terrible knotted scars that capped the shoulder where her arm should have been. Fumiko was still staring at her empty sleeve, her pretty face distant and distressed.

"I did not think something so terrible could be real."

Fumiko flinched a Lin uttered a short dour laugh.

"Any God who harbors hate inside their heart holds the seed of their making. You spiders should know the truth of that after the madness I saw in the spider caverns."

Fumiko's eyes flashed with anger as her hands tightened into fists on the table. Her shadow crawled across the wall in a tangle of spindly limbs. The mushi scrambled in their jar overhead as if frightened by the taste of her antagonism. Lin sorely regretted leaving Umi's knife in the bathroom as she watched the façade of Fumiko's docile prettiness crack.

"Spare me your judgments, weasel woman! You know nothing of madness! I was born a slave in the brothels of Shitamachi! I have never seen a Forgotten but I have seen much worse! It is as you say: kami who harbor hate become demons. That city _is_ a demon! It has eaten more of the people I love than I care to count! I was glad to watch the Wheel of Yamanote crush that forsaken place as no doubt you were glad to watch your Forgotten fall to ash!"

The spider flashed her sharp teeth in throwing back her hot reply.

"Yes, the soldiers are frightening and gruesome. But how could they not become so after being hunted by the Dogs of Shitamachi? How could they not go feral after enduring such trials in hopes of saving what little goodness we have left?"

All over again she saw the baby in the nameless spider woman's arms.

Lin cringed from Fumiko's next words as they rang far too true.

"You reek of blood as do my sisters. You have done terrible things as they have done terrible things. That truth is written on your very skin. You may think us to be monsters but you are no different than us."

Grinding her teeth, Lin tried to argue but couldn't.

Hadn't she gone wild in the broken dark shell of Yubaba's Bath House?

Hadn't she transformed into a monster so she could hunt monsters?

All the same Lin threw back other truths, choking on blind fury.

As she did she slammed her fist onto the table top spilling her tea.

_ "I did not destroy your home or steal your children!"_

As the door to the room ripped open Fumiko crowded the frame holding the guard back. Lin lurched to the side stunned by the bath attendant's speed and strength.

"It is fine, Shimizu-san."

"But…!"

"I said it's fine!"

Without further explanation Fumiko slammed the slider in her sister's face. Scowling now the spider returned to her cushion, whispering beneath her breath, scolding Lin like she was stupid.

"Control your temper, weasel woman! This train is made of ears."

She gripped the edge of the table with her six hands as if wanting to throw it.

There were teeth in her severe grimace as she fidgeted on her cushion.

"I did not bring this upon you, weasel woman. Yet still you hate me and only because I am a spider."

Riled again, Lin hissed back between her clenched teeth.

"_Your_ _mother_ is the one who started this!"

Again Fumiko's eyes flashed with restrained fury.

"No. Garuda began this war and Shurui took it up in his absence. And she is _not_ my mother! I do not pledge myself to her or her obsession with the God-not-of-this-land as do some of the spiders. All I know is she is taking us to a new beginning. After everything you have seen can you blame me for wanting to follow?"

Again Lin laughed in her face with low bitter sarcasm.

"Do you really believe she's taking you to a better place?"

Fumiko couldn't lie.

Her pretty face went grim with fortitude.

"No. But anywhere is better than Shitamachi. Besides; I believe in my sisters. Shurui didn't send them. They didn't have to come for us. All the same, they did. Wherever our journey ends we will make our way together."

Even though she knew their end destination Lin tossed the question between them feigning terrible irritation.

"Where are we going anyway!"

Fumiko sighed and shrugged revealing she didn't know.

"West. We are running low on coal. I have heard mention among the guards that we will have to stop shortly. Apparently there's a God village on the tracks ahead that still provides such services."

Again Lin studied her cautiously, trying to make sense of the spider's motives.

"Why tell me all of this? What are you hoping to gain?"

As if she couldn't sit still the spider produced a towel. Industriously she mopped the spilled tea and straightened the table.

"I do not want you to look upon all spiders with hate. Our world has enough demons, weasel woman. Shall we both agree not make more?"

Lin blinked and blinked then snorted in spite of herself.

Grudgingly Lin forced herself accepted the wisdom of the spider's words.

There were indeed enough demons in this world.

One way or the other she hadn't expected it to be so easy to get the spider to talk.

What she'd learned was more than a start.

There was at least one dissenter in this nest of spiders.

But as it was with spiders, where there was one there was bound to be more.

"I won't wear that!"

Lin jerked her head in disgust at the yellow kimono. Standing, she went back into the bathroom and hid Umi's knife in the bucket beneath the washcloth. Then she bundled her blood stained indigo yukata and obi into a snarled ball before foisting them at Fumiko.

"Wash them. I won't wear anything else."

Reluctantly taking the bloody clothes the spider held them at arms length.

Then she stood only to bow.

"As you wish, weasel woman."

"My name is Lin," she returned angrily.

Plunking back down onto the cushion Lin disarranged the table spitefully.

"Bring me some food and maybe I'll let you brush my hair when you come back."

Fumiko frowned at the scattered tea implements.

A pair of her hands twitched as if wanting to reach out and straighten them.

But she restrained herself from cleaning.

"As you wish, Lin-san."

Lin growled in explosive agitation.

"Just _Lin_! Got that, you stupid spider! Not lady or miss or missus! Gods above, I scrub floors for a living and I can't _stand_ the putting on of airs! Now get out of here and bring me something to eat!"

Again Fumiko bowed as her lips quirked.

"As you wish, Lin."

Lin half considered throwing her cushion at the spider as she turned.

As Fumiko exited Shimizu crowded the frame crossly brandishing her lances.

"What was all that, Fumi-chan! Was she giving you trouble? Can I kill her?"

Lithely the spider stepped around the guard towing her with unburdened hands.

"No, you may not kill her, Shimizu-san."

With that the spider shut the door. Sitting back on her heels Lin drew her lips into a thin line. She stared at nothing she tried to decide whether or not she hated this spider. Hate, after all, was extremely easy. Forgiveness, however desperately it was needed in their world, was not.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHIHIRO**

She frowned at the palm trees.

Leaning her forehead against the cold glass of the driver's side window, Chihiro counted nine of them along the distant beach. They were tall and well established, no doubt planted back during the Hawaii craze that swept through the Izu peninsula in the early 90s. Her mom had showed her some ridiculous pictures of her and dad dressed up in hula outfits from their honeymoon. They had been able to afford the trip to the real thing. Judging from the shabby tiki-themed tables on the veranda of the beach front resort across the bay, the hotel hadn't updated in a while.

Glancing at the clock on the dashboard she found that only a minute had passed since last time she looked. It was 9:07 AM. They still had another twenty three minutes before the next boat arrived. The ferry from Toi to Shimizu cut two hours off the drive to her parent's house. It was worth the half hour wait. As long as they didn't get stuck in traffic they'd get into Mizunami around 3ish. Even as her thoughts darted ahead across the landscape without realizing it again her hand was back in the pocket of her coat.

Chihiro closed her fingers around the bath tile.

She worried the smooth lacquered surface with her thumb.

There'd been no good-byes.

Not yet.

They'd be back later that evening.

But already Chihiro wanted to slap the bit of wood on a door and go home.

Impatiently she slouched in her seat, tracing her eyes along the long arm of concrete that jutted out of the south point of bay. She scanned the other cars in the ferry waiting area, finding lots of families with kids, probably waiting to get across to go see grandma for New Years diner. Most were taking pictures of the gorgeous view of Mt. Fuji made available thanks to the brisk wind. It had cleared the sky of clouds, sending choppy waves crashing up into foamy sprays against the sea walls ringing the harbor. Chihiro had no interest in getting out for the car since it was still freezing cold outside. A dusting of white capped the steep walls of the hill that poured down the bay.

Turning up the heater another notch, and trying to be blaze about it even though it was her car, Chihiro wandered her eyes to the motorcycle parked at the opposite end of the lot. The cat couldn't seem to sit still. Cinna'd stolen one of Chihiro's skirts. The red hem billowed above the torn knees of her faded black jeans. The wind was constantly disarranged the deep cowl of her massively huge black sweater. Cinna was gesturing wildly, pacing back and forth before climbing up on the sea wall, walking the edge like a tightrope only to jump down and rush over to hang on Haku's arm before whirling away making another grand gesture. Here Chihiro realized the cat wasn't wearing shoes.

Haku shivered violently.

Poor guy was obviously cold.

She shouldn't be grinning at him.

He looked so much like a chilly stork hunched against the wind while leaning on the edge of the sea wall, hands shoved deep into his pockets and jacket zipped to his nose. The short fringe of his inky blue-black hair blew about like a flag in the gusts of wind that kicked against the side of her car. But even from here she could see the smile in his radiant green eyes. He nodded every so often, politely acknowledging whatever Cinna was yammering on about. Chihiro grinned until her cheeks hurt as she watched all this, because he was so very cute when he was being polite.

Chihiro blinked, suddenly struck as she watched them from afar. They looked so very normal, like a brother and sister from one of the other families wandering the sea side, especially as Cinna squeezed herself under his arm. It was so weird to see them like this; wearing human clothes and hanging out in the middle of a parking lot. But then again, all of this felt weird. It had taken her a minute to remember how to shift gears. Chihiro patted her purse as she hauled it into her lap, absently rifling her hand around in the contents just to remember what it felt like. Closing her hand around the cell phone she'd all but forgotten, she shook it to make the bell on the susuwatari charm ring and jingle. Taking out the lip gloss she applied another coat just to feel the slippery peach flavored substance on her lips. Breathing in the smell of the car's leather interior, Chihiro sighed.

When did normal become so strange?

The one human thing she didn't miss was waiting.

She could let that one go any time.

Scanning the horizon for the ferry she found nothing but water. Growing bored, Chihiro was back to watching Haku and Cinna. She hadn't realized how close they were until the cat just turned up and climbed onto the back of Haku's motorcycle as if it had been long since decided that she was going with him. Outside Haku laughed at something Cinna said; face breaking into a wide grin. As his white teeth flashing in the bright sun he caught her in the bow of his arms, anchoring her beside as she tried to dart off. Chihiro pulled a moue. If it had been anyone else beside the cat she might be jealous. At first annoyed by being trapped, the cat wiggled and resisted before turning and frowning up at Haku he shivered again from head to toe. Like a magician pulling a silk scarf chain from her sleeve, Cinna produced a long red muffler before hauling Haku down by his coat so she could loop it round and round his neck. The genuine concern in the cat's face made a prick of cold squeeze inside Chihiro's chest.

Silently she wished she could invite Haku over to get warm in the car.

Unfortunately she couldn't.

Not as long as Suzume was sitting next to her.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. He was dressed in the guise of an old man: black haori, gray kimono, and black and gold striped hakama. He'd even done his face in lines of age with salt and pepper hair. At the moment the fox was glaring at the ocean with a thoroughly sour grimace. His lips were pressed together into a thin dour line. He returned to studying the ferry brochure she'd picked up for him at the fare office before growling in exasperation.

"Explain to me again, child, why it is we cannot go around!"

It was obvious he was not pleased by the idea of taking a boat across Suruga Bay. Neither was Chihiro; 60 minutes on the open water was not at all interesting.

But they didn't have much of a choice.

She tried not to see again what she'd glanced on the TV in the ferry office.

Great plumes of black smoke pouring up out of the Tokyo skyline.

Chihiro didn't want to think about Tokyo right now.

Already her throat pinched painfully as horror and sorrow surged in her chest.

Forcing her eyes back to the water she tried to find the ferry on the horizon.

"It's going to save us a lot of time. Besides, the highways are still messed up from all the traffic in and out of Tokyo due to the train cancellations. Mom's really hoping we can make it for diner."

Yuko sure got a New Year's surprise.

Chihiro called her mom when she was waiting in line to pay their fare. Yuko was extremely surprised to hear Chihiro's boyfriend would be joining them. She blustered and dithered on about what her father was going to say. Pulling the little girl ploy big time Chihiro cut in, pleading with her mom to convince Akio it was okay. In a way she told the truth. Haku didn't have parents to spend New Year's Day with. It wasn't a lie when she said she didn't want him to be alone. The sob story must've touched a chord with Yuko because she'd finally agreed.

Kou Yami: that's how Chihiro'd introduced him.

Haku didn't know it yet but he was really in for it this evening.

Chihiro blinked, glancing out the window at his ill-fitting clothes.

They were going to have to get him a nicer outfit somewhere.

First impressions went a long way with her parents.

How Michio had squeezed thru that rule Chihiro would never know.

Her heart sank like a stone into the queasy pit of her stomach.

Yuko was probably even more surprised to hear Michio wouldn't be joining them. In a way so was Chihiro. She hadn't seen Michio since what had happened in the bath wing. Chihiro hadn't even run into her when she'd gone to extricate some things from the mess that was Michio's room. If things had gone differently that night way back in December when all hell broke loose Chihiro had fully intended to move into Haku's tiny apartment. She'd shown up with her car packed to the roof with stuff from her house in Aoyama. As a result, she drove all the way back to Izu well provisioned for a move. In a way it was a lucky coincidence; hence the coffee pot and the rice cooker now hanging out on the counter in the kitchen; hence the suitcase and bag of toiletries sitting on the back seat.

Also on the back seat was the bottomless camphor wood box.

It looked completely out of place beside her luggage. After catching a flash of Lin inside her head Chihiro had hastily gone off to put away the mirror. The last thing she wanted to do was leave it lying around. When she'd come back to Mrs. Nikkou's room Suzume was gone. The box, however, remained. Into this Chihiro returned all of the weird stuff along with the knife, the mirror, and the jewel. These she smothered and bundled into a pillow case. Another thing she snuck into the box was Haku's green kimono and the zori Kuromi made for her. The shoes were ridiculously comfy, all kinds of scooshy unlike any other pair of shoes she'd ever worn. After that she'd come downstairs only to find Keiichi in her kitchen. Unfortunately when Chihiro pressed the priest to take all the creepy stuff back to the shrine Keiichi refused. The young priest said that Hidé had given her the relics for a reason. Keiichi said that to give them back would've been extremely bad luck. He made it clear that for all intensive purposes the stuff was hers now.

Fat chance.

They'd forever belong to Sengen no matter what her son said said.

Chihiro heart went cold as she thought of Hidé. Unconsciously she looked out the window at the brilliant aquamarine ocean. She scanned the breakers half expecting to find him out there somewhere. But there was nothing on the rocks but spray and seaweed. All the same, she studied the waves not sure if she wanted to see him. An unnerving pressure wound tighter and tighter inside her chest until Suzume snorted as if annoyed, jerking her back to the present. Folding his pamphlet, the fox shifted in his seat.

"You think loudly, child. I can hear you blundering around inside your head."

Chihiro glared at him sideways only to find the fox fiddling the heat vents.

He looked extremely uncomfortable as he pulled on the seat belt strap.

All of a sudden she realized he was a trapped audience.

Without preamble she dumped a question on him knowing he couldn't run away.

"Will you tell me about the fujo, Suzume?"

The fox blinked and blinked and blinked some more, looking around the car only to realize that he couldn't just leave as he usually would to avoid answering her questions. His gold eyes flashed with anger as his lip curled to reveal his sharp teeth.

"I do not have to obey you, child!"

Chihiro's mouth quirked as she fought the urge to grin; because Suzume looked so indignant as an old man, even more indignant than when he was wearing his usual appearance. Absorbing his irritation, she clicked up the heater and shivered all the same.

"I'm not asking you to obey, Suzume," Chihiro amended patiently, "I'm asking as your friend. I'm hoping you might know something that'll help me understand all of this so that I don't act like a complete idiot next time I run into one of them."

The fox stared at her askance over the thin gold rims of his small round glasses as if not sure what to make of her request. He flustered his hands, looking around at the Audi's interior as if angry at the tight space. His control over his ruse began to slip as more and more white crept into his hair. Finally, he began all in a rush as if embarrassed.

"In all truth I know very little of fujo, child."

Chihiro frowned in confusion as his cheeks went red.

"Really?"

He growled irritably, tightly knotting his arms against his chest.

"Did I not just say my knowledge is meager! The only fujo I have ever known are Reika, her mother, and her mother's mother!"

She blinked, a little stunned as that sank in.

"Oh… It's just you seem to know everything about everything…"

Suzume barked back at her, full on angry now.

"I have lived my entire life on the remotest part of this rock called Izu, child! What means would I have of meeting any others save the ones that kept my family?"

Chihiro jerked away in surprise, knocking her head against the window really hard. Cringing, she sucked in a breath as a bright explosion of pain bloomed in her eyes leaving her temple throbbed. She shrank again, crowding against the door with a squeak as Suzume reached over to slip his frozen hand along the side her head. His pale face was more than contrite as he swept the pain away, leaving her brow tingling and her heart worried as his eerie gold eyes soaked through with intense sorrow.

"My knowledge is meager because my mother, father, and sisters died along side Reika's family, child. The knowledge of generations past vanished in their passing. We suffered much in the wake of that loss."

Suddenly Chihiro understood why he was being such a jerk.

Without realizing it she'd stumbled onto an extremely sensitive topic.

Her insides singed with guilt as she stammered apologies.

"Sorry…!"

Suzume pressed a firm finger against her lips, frowning at her in exasperation until he was satisfied that she wasn't going to blurt more apologies.

"I inherited Reika as you inherited me: against my will. Though it took some time I came to love and serve her willingly. Still, I do not hesitate to say she was an _infuriating_ child. She is unconventional by even human standards. Her gifts are intuitive and impulsive for she knows no other way."

He talked about her like she was still alive.

Here Suzume hesitated, gently running his hand across her cheek as he took it back.

As he did the fox studied her with sad eyes full of candid affection.

"You remind me of her much, Chihiro. Perhaps that is why you anger me so."

Stunned by the warmth in his quiet words Chihiro was left in a lurch as the fox settled back into his seat. Sighing gustily he attempted to stretch. The car was much too small to accommodate him. Still, Suzume tried all the same. Hands pressed against the back window and feet flattened on the furthest floorboard, there was barely enough room for his lanky form. Wilting in defeat, absently threw Suzume threw hand toward Tokyo.

"The human you met in Ueno Park israre. Miko whom serve at shrines are echoes of an era past. Fujo usually are not attached to a shrine. They hearken back to a time before the lines between this world and the next were so solidly drawn. In that age the world belonged to the Gods. Everything was sacred. There was no need to build a shrine to mark a place of consecration or give the spirits a place to dwell."

Looking out the window Suzume studied the cars. In spite of his old man guise he looked extremely uncertain. He shied, visibly nervously as another car pulled up beside them. Oblivious to what he was, a family of humans piled out and slipped by. Suzume frowned after them dourly as he continued.

"Human ways and Kami ways do not find easy harmony. In times of old every village had an oracle that would mediate on the behalf of the community. The human child was almost always female. She would be ritually married to a God that made itself known to be willing. Her mouth would speak that God's words, her ears would listen, and her hands would serve. In exchange that God child was afforded great power so that the other humans would abide by her will for it was also the will of the kami. By her efforts balance was forged and preserved between the worlds."

Chihiro gritted her teeth and squirmed.

Ritually married!

She couldn't imagine _marrying_ Suzume! They had a hard enough time being friends.

Chihiro was exceedingly grateful that tradition had faded.

Again Suzume was gesturing at the parking lot.

"As you have seen, child, times have changed. Humans devour our world to make way for theirs. The Gods of this land are forgotten. Money is the only God left that humans worship. The kami who survive are harried into the thinnest margins that remain. Those unlucky enough to not even be granted this go mad. They feel their impending doom and fight back in the ugliest of ways poisoned and putrefied with hate and sorrow."

Ever so carefully Suzume hovered a hand over the place on her thigh where the Forgotten had burned her. As he did his voice went hoarse.

"You have seen the results of such suffering, child. You will bear the mark of that forsaken being forever."

Even though he didn't touch her Chihiro flinched as the scar tingled with eerie gnawing prickles. Suzume quickly changed the subject.

"My sisters were eager to collect any gossip about the world outside Izu for it was here they could never venture. Our mother was only too happy to quell them with foreboding tales of Yamato. Human regimes rose to power that saw fujo mysteries as a threat. From her lips we heard of God children persecuted by the very humans they once served as pettiness transformed awe to fear."

Chihiro couldn't help but remember what happened when she first came to Kumomi. The moment she bought Mrs. Nikkou's property some of the town people started treating her like she was cursed. Thugs smashed up her car and painted _witch_ on the hood. It wasn't until the article that her agent published about Onsen started bringing in tourists and therefore money that certain individuals stopped treating her like a leaper. Turning away from the past, she quickly returned to listening as what Suzume said next trapped and held her attention.

"Many fujo fell prey to the same desperation that transformed their Gods into monsters. They yielded, turning against the kami they once served. Some fujo imprison kami to use as familiars, stealing from them magic in order to preserve their power. Other sought to make themselves important by catering to the whims of their frightened human masters, banishing or confining all kami, not just those who had gone mad."

Chihiro found herself wringing the steering wheel.

Outrage surged in her heart as she remembered what Kazue said.

She talked about Suzume like he was an animal.

Something to be tamed and harnessed.

"This world belongs to all of us," Chihiro choked all in a rush, not quite sure what she was saying, "I don't understand why we have to fight over it!"

"From your lips to O-Inari-sama's ears, child."

Again Suzume sighed. He sounded so very tired.

"God or human, it does not matter. I pray that those who dwell in the worlds come to share your equanimity. But that is why I chose to accept you, child. You are my bridge."

Obviously done with talking, Suzume closed his eyes. Slouching into his chair he fought to find a comfortable position. But instead of being settled by what the fox had to say Chihiro's insides had gone cold. Half of her wanted to call him out for being so duplicitous. The fox talked about wanting the world to be fairer. But how could he say that and hold such a grudge again Haku in the same breath? Suddenly distracted, Chihiro blinked, searching for a small clicking sound.

Looking over she found the fox fiddling with a latch on the side of his seat.

It clicked loudly this time as he pulled it up without knowing what that did.

Suzume yipped loudly, going white in surprise as the seat dumped him backwards.

* * *

**HAKU**

Ahead of them the Audi's tail light glowed red against the white.

Before they could reach the apex of the hill Chihiro turned off the main road. Haku followed, pulling to a stop as she parked her car beside the old hinoki tree.

Giving the car wide berth He cut the engine of the Honda.

Dry flakes filtered down from above, gathering in drifts on the hill's dry grass.

At once he was listening to the eerie quiet of the whispering snow.

At least it was quiet until Okesa hissed in his ear.

"Neh, neh! Wot's she doin', kitten?"

The cat craned her neck, clambering up behind him to see down the road.

Quickly Haku braced his feet into the snow to keep the bike from overturning.

Politeness forced Haku offered the obvious between his chattering teeth.

"I do not know, Okesa."

He narrowed his eyes to peer at the car, holding his breath so as not to obscure the air. He could just barely make out Chihiro inside. She was speaking to the fox, gesturing as if to persuade. Haku drew on a sharp frown as Suzume's voice spiked.

"_Tch!_ Why's they arguin', neh?"

He gave a start of surprise as Okesa's soft cheek slid against his. She draped herself over his shoulders, hugging him close even though she had no warmth to offer him. All the same, he was grateful for the comfort of her presence. Haku found himself frowning as Chihiro's voice cut through Suzume's. Whatever the reason for their altercation, she held her own against the fox. All the same, Haku was thoroughly displeased to hear the God shout at her so. Gritting his teeth against anger, Haku resisted the urge to intervene. That, however, would be pure folly.

"As I said, Okesa, I do not know."

Haku shuddered and not with chill, throwing his eyes up over the hill.

His chest tightened with apprehension as his blood ran cold.

Strange to be here again.

Strange to have returned once more.

Haku barely recognized the hill that bore endless rows of human houses. Like the slope on which they perched, they were blanketed in white. So was the road. In spite of the old priest's omen the cobbles were asleep beneath a quilt of snow. Perhaps they would wake later to offer him their anger? Because the forest was gone; all that remained was the forlorn strip ahead of him. This escorted the old road around the curve of the rise beyond the old hinoki as if trying to hide the sight from the stones. If only the trees could be so kind to him as well. Though he had seen it before Haku was still alarmed. More houses sprouted like weeds on the apex of the rise. The electric lights of their eyes stared down at him suspiciously as if knowing he was an intruder of old; a revenant of the past that their concrete foundations had supplanted.

All at once he was exceedingly grateful for the red muffler Okesa had gifted him. Even though it was tightly wound round his face, tucked deep into the front of his heavy jacket, Haku's breathe plumed thick and white in front of his face. At least the gas tank was warm because the air was decidedly not. Lifting his eyes to the low clouds, Haku frowned at the dim bright that had enrobed the world. The sky was dark with the threat of more snow. Cold poured through the shallow valley, breathing down from the North.

This was not the first time he had made this journey.

Once before he and Okesa had followed precisely this road.

The Tomei Expressway was clear and the weather fair all the way from the ferry dock in Shimizu to Toyota; nothing but wide flat asphalt cutting across the expanses of field broken by towns and factories that lined the distant bright mirror of the ocean shore. All the while white capped mountains loomed in the distance brewing dark clouds overhead. They matched Haku's mood. These grew closer and closer until he could feel the weather change. Cold ached in his bones. As if the crisp wind of their passing had not been enough already Haku could taste the snow that had blown over Izu. They met one of the storm's siblings to the east of Nagoya when they turned onto the Chou Expressway, wending their way higher over the rolling hills covered in forest and bamboo as they followed the scatological path of a river through a deepening valley. Tired abandoned buildings dotted the side of the road, windows broken and electric signs dark. Okesa had explained to him that the human economy had broken two decades prior. These skeletons were a harsh reminder for humans of better times now gone; much like the old torii leaning against the hinoki was a sad memorial to a lush forest now lost.

Haku jerked his attention to Chihiro's car as the passenger door flew open.

He flinched as Suzume burst out into the snow, stalking away down the road.

Only as the fox disappeared into the white did Haku realize he held his breath.

The snow stirred and eddied in a wind of his making.

But letting it out in a gusty rush did nothing to ease the tight pinch in his chest.

Swallowing with difficulty, Haku found his mouth dry and his pulse quick. Cagily he studied the God's tracks, following them down the old road into the thicket only to stare at the place he disappeared. Haku was not afraid of the fox; far from it. Still, he gave Suzume a wide berth in order to avoid provoking the fox with his presence. Haku's jaw still ached from the blow the fox had dealt him. He had not expected such violence from the fox. The hate in the God's eyes burned him still. It was a terrible reminder of the debt of guilt he owed Suzume.

Ignoring the pain as he tightened his mouth in quiet perseverance, Haku reminded himself that wallowing in the familiar pool of remorse would not bring Hayashimi back. Allowing the fox to break his face would not summon her home either. Haku, however, had no intention of becoming the God's scapegoat. A great many wrong lay at the fox feet; chief among them the way he had treated Hayashimi while the old human woman was alive. Neither he nor the fox was unblemished by shame. However, what Haku feared most was what he might be forced to do should the God try to attack him again.

Haku did not want to injure the fox.

Chihiro loved the God openly.

To hurt Suzume would be to hurt Chihiro.

Haku wished that Suzume could see that.

That, however, was a wish made in vain.

Haku had learned a great deal about Suzume since they had come to dwell beneath he same roof. Being of fire and earth, the fox was inherently selfish; obdurate in his beliefs; quick to anger and even quicker to overreact. They were natural opposites. Being of wind and water, Haku's first reaction was to yield and redirect. It was unlikely that Suzume would exchange anger for reason and so Haku did not even try to speak to the God. He permitted Suzume to accompany Chihiro knowing the fox would not come any other way. Unfortunately, that left Haku utterly in the dark.

Abruptly their journey began.

It fell upon him so quickly Haku had no time to prepare.

Hastily Chihiro announced their departure to the young priest as she spilled down into the kitchen from the second story. Just as hastily he had been forced to follow in her wake with little direction. Instinctively he responded with resiliency, making good use of the reservoir of patience he had cultivated as a result of the trials he experience over the past year. In the midst of all of the chaos Haku realized Michio had not accompanied Chihiro. As baffled as Haku was, he had no time to appeal for explanation even as he sought her out in the ferry office on the shore of Toi. Covering her mouth in horror, she had been completely engrossed by the buzzing flickering pictures on the monitors hanging from ceiling inside building's waiting room. Chihiro had startled in surprise as she turned only to walk right into him. Then she grabbed his hand and towed him out the back door. Away they skulked like thieves, hidden from the fox's eyes in the lee of the structure. Even here when there could have been more she offered him only the thin slip of human paper that was proof of payment for he and Okesa's ferry passage.

Wordlessly she begged him to be patient with her pale troubled eyes.

He knew intuitively something had happened with Michio.

Though his insides boiled in turmoil what could he to but oblige?

He let her return to the fox without asking a single question.

Again he obliged for the fox's sake.

Carefully extricating himself from the motorcycle, Haku let the cat slide forward to take his place in the driver's seat. Her dainty feet barely reached the ground.

"Will you look after Suzume, Okesa?"

Flattening he velvet ears, she pulled a sour face while staring off into the snow.

"_Tch!_ Why's aye always gotta look after grumpy-puss!"

The cat complained loudly but did not refuse.

Haku bowed to her in gratitude.

"Thank you, Okesa."

She glared at him sideways before lashing her tail and tossing up her nose. With bare feet she kicked the vehicle to life, expertly gunning the engine. The back wheel fishtailed as she shot down the road spraying him with snow. As the cat shot by the driver's side door popped open. A bell dinged from the interior persistently as Chihiro climbed out weary. I was odd to see her dressed once more in human clothing. He much preferred her in Onsen's indigo yukata and happi. Her breath billowed from her lips as she shivered violently, staring away down the road after the cat and fox. Already he was walking toward her; the snow hardly creaked beneath his light brisk steps.

Chihiro startled as his wind gusted by, throwing up a hand to hold her hat her. She wheeled round as if stunned to find him standing there. He came up short as again he found her lovely face tight with lines of worry that aged her. Wisps of silver hair escaped from under her disarranged hat. Absently she plucked at the flower at its brim as if wanting to pull it off.

"He's not happy about it but he's gonna wait in the woods until later."

She gestured after the fox as if that explained everything. Turning to face the hill she stared up at the house with a grim expression. Chihiro was back to pulling at the flower. He rescued the fabric blossom by claiming her hand. Wilting as if ashamed, she glanced up at him evasively as he laced his fingers through herself.

"Sorry I didn't ask," she began halting, "But I kinda invited you to diner."

Haku blinked and blinked and blinked some more as he stared at her in open-mouthed surprise. A startled wind erupted beneath his feet, unsteadying him as it swirled the snow and dislodged her hat, sending it tumbled across the roof of the car. He learned they would return to Mizunami he had anticipated spending a frigid afternoon hiding in the woods until he could steal through Chihiro's bedroom window as he had before. He had received predictions of oni and angry haunted cobble stones, not an evening spent with Chihiro's parents!

To say that he did not care for Chihiro's parents was to put it lightly. His recollections of Yuko and Akio were laced with nothing but anger and dismay. Haku had never met a blinder pair of humans. Akio was an audacious overconfident male whose insatiable appetite reminded Haku of the pig he had once been cursed into being. Yuko was so possessed with appearances that the female failed to see the truth in herself or others as she strove to personify some peculiar human standard Haku could not begin to understand. They spoke to Chihiro as if she was a piece of property to be managed rather than a child to be nurtured. How such disinterested humans had reared Chihiro he would never know. Haku found himself doubting he could spend an evening in their company.

Some of this must have shown on his face.

All at once Chihiro was clutching his hand tightly.

She appealed to him as if expecting argument.

Anxiously explaining yet making little sense.

"Please don't be mad! I just didn't want you to have to hide like Cinna and Suzume. It's really cold out here and I really, _really_ want you to meet my parents. Like for real, you know? Like real people."

Struggling to find his voice Haku answered with quick diplomacy.

"I am only surprised, Chihiro. I am honored you wish me to meet your parents."

It was not entirely a lie.

Regardless of what he thought of the humans they remained Chihiro's parents.

He owed them courtesy if not respect.

Here, however, embarrassment pinked Haku's cheeks.

"Unfortunately I find myself under prepared for such an occasion."

He fidgeted with the sleeves of his jacket. They were far too short.

A frown furrowed Chihiro's brow as she looked him up and down.

Her attention only served to intensify the heat in his face.

"S-sorry… I knew we should've stopped in Nagoya before we headed in. "

Immediately she began chewing her nails. Gently Haku took her hand from her mouth. Glancing down the hill at a billboard on the main highway below he studied the crisp black suit of the young male pictured there. Ignoring the beverage the human offered for consideration, Haku studied the subtle stripes of the charcoal gray shirt that peeked at the collar and cuffs of the tailored jacket. The outfit was completed by a rich satin brown tie and slightly pointed polished black shoes. It was the kind of garment in which Shouta once tried to dress him.

"Would an appearance such as that suffice?"

Haku gestured to the board.

Chihiro blinked in confusion as she considered the image.

"S-sure… But nothing's going to be open in Mizunami because it's New Year's Day. The mall will be closed…"

She trailed off as Haku produced his tatter cloak from his pocket. Unfurling the garment he whirled it across his shoulders. Magic surged across his skin, sinking through the clothes Amano had gifted him like the biting wind. They transformed in response to his will; becoming what he saw and more. He coaxed his cloak into the guise of the overcoats he had seen well dressed human males wearing in Tokyo. Straightening against his collar the scarf Okesa had gifted him, Haku moved on to adjust the tie at his neck as he found it too tight. The shoes were equally uncomfortable. He shivered in spite of his ruse. Though they appeared otherwise, beneath the surface of his magic the garments remained as they were.

"Have I done well? Should I change anything?"

Holding out his arms Haku turned in a circle, appealing for Chihiro's judgment. As she remained silent he looked toward her only to realize her mouth was hanging open. Her wide eyes were round with amazement. Again they skated up and down, taking him once more. Haku did not expect the melancholy that suddenly flooded her face. Stunned and at once worried, more cold flooded through his chest as tears glimmered in her eyes. Trying to hide them she dropped her face. At once he closed the distance between them. She cringed from the gloves on his hands, resisting as he lifted her chin, fretfully smoothing her wild windy hair.

"What is it, Chihiro?" He appealed in quiet desperation, "Have I done something wrong? I do not understand why you are sad?"

She shook her head vigorously, making the pale tail of her hair whip from side to side as she drew her mouth into a grim line. Finally she met his gaze, tightening her hands on the lapels of his overcoat as if she wanted him to take it off. Words erupted from her lips in a hurried upset rush as finally she spoke her mind.

"If I had my way I wouldn't've changed anything at all!"

At once understanding stilled the turbulent waters of Haku's heart. For the first in some time Haku was not troubled by the mendacity of his appearance. Odd, that he should not be bothered by the lie. He had changed much in these short months. Covering her hands with his, Haku tried to offer her consolation.

"We all must make concessions, dear one. Some truths are impossible."

She glanced up at him as if wanting to argue.

But instead she nodded grudgingly.

Here Haku found himself staring at her hair.

"Shall I help you, dear one?"

As her chin lifted she blinked.

"Huh?"

A smile immediately tugged at the corner's of his mouth. Even after all this time that same wide-eyed little girl lived inside Chihiro still. Melting affection surged in his heart she stared up at him blankly as she had ages ago. Indulging himself, Haku ran his hands over the crown of her head.

"Your hair, Chihiro. It is quite white."

Her face wiped with shock as he hands flew up into the starlight tendrils.

"Oh, crap! I totally forgot! Can you fix it?"

Haku ran a lock through his fingers.

"I will do my best. Only it will not be permanent. It will require concentration on my part. I apologize in advance if that attention slips."

Chihiro all but melted in gratitude as she nervously smoothed the front of his coat.

"T-thanks. Mom would be seriously pissed if I wore my hat inside the house."

As she shivered convulsively Haku ushered her back toward the car. Reclaiming her hat from the snow bank, he folded up into the passenger seat. He did not have to adjust the seat at all for he and Suzume were the same height. Haku pressed his lips together as he grimly noted the lingering smell of camphor and sandalwood that lurked in the car's interior once he shut his door. Only as Chihiro speak did he notice she had closed her door. Looking up at her worried frown Haku realized the chilly breeze gusting through the car was entirely of his making.

"Um… Do you think not be windy around mom and dad?"

Haku blinked and silenced the current of air before nodding carefully.

"As I said, I will do my best, dear one."


	17. Chapter 17

**CHIHIRO**

Dread lifted her foot from the acceleration peddle.

The Audi all but crawled along the freshly plowed road.

Already she could see her parent's blue house.

Grinding her teeth Chihiro realized it had been decorated for the holiday.

The electricity bill was going to be ridiculous.

Blinking bulbs festooned the bars of the fence until it was a glowing grid. Every light was on in the two story house even thought only two people were at home. Even though dusk was swiftly approaching the front yard of the Ogino house was illuminated bright as day. At either side of the front gate enormous ornate arrangement of pine and bamboo stood to attention. The snow had been shoveled from the driveway, the walk, and all the way up to the front step. Yuko must've really gotten after her dad to get him to clear even the sidewalk.

Slouching into her seat as she pulled into the driveway and parked, Chihiro gritted her teeth and wrung the steering wheel. She didn't turn off the engine right away, drawing out even taking the key from the ignition. Struggling to find ways to dawdle, she got into her purse for her lip gloss, feigning the act of primping herself in the mirror, anything to delay going into that house. Chihiro paused, frowning intensely at her hair. It was still silver, at least to her eyes. Haku assured her everyone else would see it brown.

"Do not look so grim, dear one," he amended gently, "Is it truly so dire?"

Chihiro glared at him pulling a sullen moue.

Then she blinked. Was he smirking? He was!

What the heck was this?

"Since when did you get a sense of humor?"

He frowned distantly, looking out the opposite window.

"I know not of what you speak, dear one."

That was more like it. But then Chihiro saw the corners of his mouth quirk. Blinking again, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, studying his face even as he turned away, indifferently studying the other houses on the block. Craning her neck to see his face she realized his green eyes were sparkling merrily. Indignation surged inside her chest. He was _teasing_ her! Startled and thrown off balance by this new side of him, Chihiro opened her mouth to throw something lippy his direction only to shrink with a squeak as the long curtains in the front window parted for a moment only to swing shut.

"We have been seen," Haku pronounced ominously, making her want to swat him.

He exited the car first, coming around to open her door and offer his hand.

"Shall we go in?"

Chihiro glowered up at him but reluctantly took his hand.

He looked extremely sharp in that suit.

Charming bastard; how did he managed to pull off looking so calm?

She almost pinched his butt just to give him a turn.

But fearing her hair might go white as a result Chihiro restrained herself.

Following in his shadow, they went through the side gate. The front yard was manicured within an inch of its life in spite of all the snow. She wouldn't've been surprised if the hedges turned out to be made of plastic. Coming up to the front step into the tall modern style entryway, Chihiro glared at the tiny ceramic frogs capering along the wall. Her mom didn't like frogs. It was exactly the kitchy kind of stuff in home and garden magazines Yuko loved to waste money on just because it was popular.

One held up a chalk board sign that welcomed them.

Chihiro glared

"Calm, dear one." Haku counseled gently as he wiggled his fingers.

Chihiro realized she was squeezing his hand so hard it must've hurt. Heat flooded her face as she loosened her grip, muttering an apology. Staring in terror at the big immaculately white front door Chihiro's heart thrilled up into her throat. She lifted a shaking finger to press the glowing orange bar of light illuminating the door bell. Distantly a chime sounded a pleasant _ding-dong_ that set her knees quaking.

Almost instantly as if she had been perched beside the door laying in wait, Yuko whisked it open. A wall of warmth breathed out of the house thanks to the centralized heating system that was no doubt cranked up to full. Chihiro jolted as her mom managed to fill the massive archway with her presence. She was dressed in white slacks pressed so crisply they didn't even bend as she moved. Even though she was getting lines around her eyes and mouth, Yuko was still wearing on of her trademark pink sweaters. As if dyed to match, it was the exact shade of her glossy lipstick. Gold flashed ostentatiously at her ears and her neck. Like her pants Yuko's perfectly styled hair didn't so much as move. The hue was too intense not to be colored.

Holding her breath, Chihiro watched her mom's face waiting in terror.

This was the moment when everything would be decided.

First impressions were the beginning and the end with Yuko.

Ignoring Chihiro completely, her mom's gaze grazed by like a razor's edge.

Haku didn't so much as flinch as it swept him up and down.

Chihiro blinked as Yuko blinked.

Surprise widened her mom's eyes as she stared at Haku.

Into that silence Chihiro intervened.

"H-hi, mom," she breathed faintly, "This is Kou."

Chihiro motioned at Haku, freezing up awkwardly as he bowed to her mom with all the grace in his being. It was hard not to stare when he moved like this.

"It is an honor to be received by you, Mrs. Ogino."

He straightened only to reveal a smile so disarming her mom went pink in the cheeks. Yuko's lips rounded into an "oh" of surprise as she unconsciously lifted a hand toward her mouth. Her mom hung on the door for a couple seconds, still staring at Haku as if stunned. Chihiro blinked, finding herself similarly caught in his charm. Furtively, she glanced back and forth between them only to fight a small smile of satisfaction as Haku dazzled her mom. Judging from the look on Yuko's face she probably would've' handed him her checkbook and her purse if he asked for it.

Instantly all of Chihiro's worries evaporated.

She kicked herself mentally for worrying in the first place.

In many ways Haku was pretty much still a God.

He could handle her parents.

"I'm so glad you're finally here," Yuko exclaimed in saccharine cheer as she shivered violently, "It's so cold! Come in before you freeze."

The pink in the cheeks intensified as her mom ushered them into the entryway, shutting the door behind them with a halting bow pointedly directed at Haku. Chihiro blinked. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her mom bow. Yuko's pink slippers scooted loudly against the gleaming polished beige tiles of the entryway floor. Deftly she slipped out of her shoes and stepped up to perch on the lip of the dark burnished wood flooring only to blink rapidly, pausing as she realized that Haku was extremely tall. Again she forced a smile to hide her surprise, offering her hands.

"I'll take your coats."

As Chihiro shrugged out of her coat and handed it over to her mom, clumsily stepping out of her boots and into the pink Hello Kitty slippers positioned in the entryway. She'd had them since high school. Her mom kept putting them out for her. Haku followed suit, stepping into a pair of new blue slippers, give up his coat a little reluctantly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ogino."

He was bowing again, making her mom laugh in delight. Leaving them to their pleasantries, Chihiro stepped up into the hall unconsciously following the familiar path of the wood floor. It bordered the entire length of the living room in a narrow tributary that spilled to the right of the entryway in a dark gleaming river that pooled in the dining room. Nosily peering around the corner at the western style table they rarely used, Chihiro found it was set for four looking like something straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine. Above it the massive front room lifted two stories into the exposed gables. An ugly modern chandelier made of big rectangles of glass hung over the recessed living room. It was carpeted in more beige to match the cream leather couch and the austere glass tables.

The house looked exactly the same.

It hadn't changed at all over the years.

As she stared at it Chihiro's inside swam with strange emotions.

She'd grown up here.

Why then did she feel like a stranger inside her own home?

"Turn that off, will you dear? Chihiro and Kou are here."

Chihiro jumped as her mom called over her shoulder, scooting by to hang their coats in the closet. Seated in the middle of the couch watching TV was her dad. Yuko must've demanded he dress up because his usual polo was missing. Instead he was wearing black slacks and a blue button up shirt. Akio didn't even look up. He was too engrossed in the terrible pictures. Her dad was leaning forward with elbows braced on his knees. Akio stood, gesturing to the images as finally he turned.

"Can you believe this? They're saying Asakusa sank _6_ meters not the 5 originally estimated. That's almost up to the second story of our house!"

As it flashed on screen Chihiro recognized the Tokyo skyline immediately. The picture hit her physically, stopping her dead in her tracks. He heart froze inside her chest as she stared at the plumes of black smoke. She jolted as her dad planted a quick kiss on the top of her head. She took a startled step back, looking up only to realize he was standing in front of her frowning.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm sure it's not as bad as the news is making it out to be," her dad began in with his usual overconfident optimism, "All the same, your mom and I were glad you were in Izu."

That was just like him.

Akio always assumed he knew better.

This time he didn't.

Staring up at her dad Chihiro realized there was a lot more gray in his hair, especially at his temples. He'd put on a little more weight too. All the same, she was surprised by how glad she was to see him. Her stomach gave an awkward flip as he snagged her by the shoulder, hugging her sideways with one of his meaty arms. Warmth radiated out of her dad's body. Breathing became difficult as the smell of his aftershave triggered more intense difficult emotions. Instantly she felt small; like she'd become a kid again. But then again her dad was so big he always made her feel tiny.

Chihiro couldn't do anything but follow as Akio spun her around and steered her back into the entryway. Haku and Yuko were chatting about something. Yuko tittered with laughter. Her hand was braced under her chin in a girlish posture Chihiro had never seen. Haku looked up as she and her dad paused in front them. His easy smile tightened ever so slightly as Akio planted his other hand on his hip and openly looked Haku over.

"Well," her dad grinned as he gave her another sideways squeeze, "You sure like them tall, don't you Chihiro?"

Chihiro's face blistered with heat as her dad finally released her.

Yuko laughed in order to cover her embarrassment, admonishing her husband.

"Be nice, dear."

Unruffled, Haku bowed to her dad with the same decorum he'd shown her mom.

"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Ogino."

Akio blinked, frowning as if not sure what to make of Haku. He returned a somewhat perfunctory bow before waving it off.

"I'm not one of those dour-faced Japanese dads that gives their daughter's suitors hell so don't worry about being so formal, Kou."

Passing him by Akio went into the dining room. Sitting at the head of the table her dad beckoned them over.

"Are you kids hungry because I'm starved. It's a day late but we're having New Year's soba. Then we'll head down the road to the shrine. Save some room for grilled mochi. The vendor's always put up a great spread."

Yuko intervened, never hesitating to argue.

"They've been driving all day, dear. Give them a chance to freshen up."

Akio waved her off, not really listening.

"Honey, will you bring that Yamazaki whiskey we got in Kyoto and a couple of glasses for me and Kou?"

Her dad beckoned again, this time specifically looking at Haku.

"Have a seat, son."

Yuko was frowning now.

"Really, dear!"

Akio appealed to her with a gregarious smirk.

"It's New Years Day, honey. You're the one who's been in a festive mood. What better time to celebrate new beginnings?"

Again Chihiro's face lit up with incandescent heat as her dad winked at her.

"Give me a hand in the kitchen, Chihiro."

It wasn't a request. The moment Yuko turned her back on her husband her face fixed into a frosty frown. As her mom scooted off for the kitchen Chihiro gritted her teeth and hesitated.

"Go help your mom," Akio instructed blithely, "It'll give Kou and I a chance to get to know each other."

Haku seemed similarly uncertain.

Flashing her worried jade eyes his brow tightened almost unperceivably.

Chihiro shrugged helplessly and nodded Haku toward the dining room.

He inclined his head ever so slightly before he turned away.

With a sinking feeling Chihiro made for the kitchen and followed in her mom's shadow. The moment she turned the corner Chihiro ran right into Yuko. Stunned, she went rigid as her mom physically towed her aside, peering around the corner of the doorway as if to make sure Haku and Akio were talking. Satisfied neither was listening Yuko took Chihiro's arm again and pulled her further into the kitchen.

The makings of New Years soba noodles patiently staged on the counter: scallions sliced so thin she could see the light through them, fat cubes of fish cake, and three huge brown eggs waiting to be dropped into the broth to cook at the last minute. Her stomach gave a petulant kick of hunger at the sight. But Chihiro was forced to pass the food by as her mom produced the whiskey bottle Akio requested, hugging it as her face flushed with excitement. She didn't know what to expect given the state Yuko had been in when she called the Onsen. Chihiro nearly wilted in relief as she discovered that her mother had reverted to usual assertive self.

But her relief was short lived.

Talking to her mom was always difficult.

Yuko revived that fact as she spoke quickly in a low voice.

"And I used to think Karou was handsome!"

Chihiro flinched at the mention of her ex's name as her insides stung with all the terrible things his name conjured. Oblivious, her mom began listing things off about Haku like they were available options on a new car she was considering buying.

"Kou's so tall and so trim. Is he an athlete?"

Chihiro was hard pressed to do anything but tell the truth.

"He, uh, studies dance."

Yuko actually seemed impressed by that.

"So he's an artist?" She nodded her head in approval, "What kind of dance?"

Encouraged and overwhelmed, Chihiro offered more.

"All kinds, but he specializes in classical dance."

Chihiro accepted the whiskey bottle, loitering while her mom paused in the middle of taking two glasses from a cabinet, nodding again in consideration.

"It makes sense. He moves just like a Noh actor. And those eyes! Green! I've never met a Japanese with green eyes. Is he part British? Or American maybe?"

Chihiro scooted out of the way as Yuko bent to get a tray from under the counter.

"N-no… Not that I know of."

Again Chihiro sidestepped as her mom chased her out of the way to get ice from the massive chrome refrigerator.

"But you said he doesn't have family. So there's no way to know for sure is there? He must've learned Japanese as a second language. That would explain why he speaks so formally."

Chihiro opened her mouth but realized there was nothing she could say to dispel her mother's fabrications. She startled as her mother pushed the tray into her hands, pouring whiskey into the glasses while resuming her interrogation.

"Where did you meet him?"

"He used to work at _Le Pichet_. That French restaurant in Ueno Park. You know, the one that Lydia likes so much? We took you there once."

Here her mom's face fell.

She paused in mid pour, arching a brow as she looked up.

"_Used_ to work?"

Again Chihiro scrambled as she dropped her gaze to the tray. Gritting her teeth she was forced to blurt the truth no matter how much it hurt.

"The restaurant was destroyed in the earthquake."

"So he's unemployed."

Chihiro's attention shot back to her mother as she pronounced the word like it was a disease. Yuko's mouth had drawn into a moue as some of the sparkle left her eyes. Where once she was singing Haku's praises all of a sudden he'd become second hand goods. Anger surged in Chihiro's throat as her mother passed over several more sensitive responses. Anyone else would've commented on how sad it was that the restaurant was ruined. Not Yuko. Sometimes she was so practical it made Chihiro sick.

"Actually he does have a job," Chihiro contradicted primly, "I hired him and most of the other kitchen staff to work at the Onsen in Izu."

Her mom laughed in her face as she put the glasses on the tray.

"French cooking at a Ryokan? You're such a silly girl, Chihiro!"

Stunned and scalded by her mother's harsh retort Chihiro was unprepared for the sudden weight of the whiskey glasses. Dropping her gaze to the glasses she gasped and scrambled to level the tray as it tipped. Yuko caught the cup before they could slide off. The whiskey sloshed. Some spilled, falling onto the toe of her slippers, soaking into the pale fabric. Frowning sharply at the brown blot, Yuko's eyes flashed with anger as she scolded her like a child.

"Be careful, Chihiro! You almost dropped them!"

As if she didn't trust her to carry it anymore Yuko took back the tray. Putting it on the counter, she wiped it down along with the whiskey glasses, scolding her still.

"Your father and I will never understand why you decided to buy that run down old place. It's in the middle of nowhere. You can't even get there by train."

The humiliation charring her cheeks intensified until her insides went red hot with fury. But before she could shout in her mom's face tingly magic skittered the length of her spine. Chihiro shuddered as the coals in her stomach stoked in response to her emotional turbulence. Thankfully surprise threw a bucket of cold water on her wrath. Internally she crushed her temper, trampling the flames until they were ash, holding her breath half afraid she might breathe smoke. All the while she was forced to listen to her mother as Yuko continued to dress her down like she was stupid.

"I know you have all that money from your book sales, but is this a good idea?"

Cool and quiet, she lifted her chin and stared her mother right in the face.

"Did you see the article that got published about Onsen? We're booked solid through summer. Already we're making a profit."

Yuko stared back at her just as cool, putting down the glasses to crossing her arms.

"I'm not talking about profits. I'm talking about you hiring your boyfriend. You know what they say about mixing business and pleasure."

Chihiro blinked rapidly only to utter a short humorless laugh.

The sound thoroughly unsettled Yuko.

"I can't even begin to explain how serious we are, mom."

At once her mom was angry and red in the face.

She all but hissed under her breath.

"You and Karou were serious. From what I head you were serious about Hidé."

His name hit Chihiro like a slap to the face. Gritting her teeth and cringing Chihiro threw up a hand to silence anything else her mother might say. The lights overhead flickered as if in response to her barely restrained fury. Yuko shrank from them with a gasp of surprise. The sight of the fear in her mother's face chilled Chihiro's anger. Calm again, Chihiro gently told her mother off.

"No offense, mom, but you don't get to give me relationship advice anymore."

Yuko stared at her askance, going pale as she leaned back against the counter. Her hand shook as she nervously smoothed her perfect hair. Looking away she swallowed as her dark eyes glimmered with tears.

"Do you know I'm doing exactly what I told myself I wasn't going to do? I'm not trying to start a fight, sweet pea."

Chihiro's insides lurched at the name. It was a visceral response that immediately inspired her to offer comfort. Yuko, however, was not much for hugs. But even as Chihiro reached for her mom she shrank when Yuko rounded on her with a disturbed expression full of machinations.

"I don't understand you. I never have and that scares me. You're such a _strange_ girl! To make matters worse you've got money and you're a published author. The best men will find that intimidating. The worst will try to take advantage of you. I'm just so worried you're going to end up alone and unhappy. I'm just trying to keep you from making bad decisions."

Chihiro dropped her eyes, staring at the stain on Yuka's slipper suddenly all this became completely absurd. Tomorrow Chihiro was going to disappear into another world. She didn't have time to listen to her mom lecture her about how not to get taken advantage of by men. All the same she was listening and getting all huffy back at her somehow thinking that any of this mattered. Just as oblivious Yuko was scolding her for acting like an adult and making her own choices. Suddenly it became painfully obvious her mom was doing this because still thought Chihiro was a little girl. Unfortunately, Yuko had no idea the little girl she was trying to protect was gone.

She would never come back.

Cold understanding flooded her through making the floor seem to tilt. Only now did Chihiro realize that she'd come home hoping to settle some things with her mom and dad. But suddenly she found herself endlessly sad because there wasn't time to settle anything. There never would be. Finally she forced herself to admit that in a way she was here to say good bye, not because she thought she wasn't coming back, but because she was already gone. Staring at the Hello Kitty slippers she'd worn in high school Chihiro realized she felt like a stranger in her own house because she didn't exist.

The bell in her heart rang stolidly in that moment.

As it did Sen mourned Chihiro's passing.

With her went all the possibilities and promises of a normal life. This was the price of her choice and now she was forced to pay. She closed her eyes and swallowed that bitter, bitter truth. Feeling an all too familiar burning pinch in her throat she nodded. It took her a second to find her voice. Even then it was barely more than a whisper.

"It's okay, mom. I think I understand. I hope some day you'll understand too."

It was the best she could manage.

Hastily she picked up the tray.

"I'll take this out so you can start on diner, okay?"

Blinking rapidly to clear her vision she fled back out into the living room before Yuko could say anything else, bringing the glasses over to the dining room table. Akio was laughing out loud, his face bright with delight as he leaned toward Kohaku chummily. He turned to look at her as she approached, seeing right through the thin veneer of her calm. His brow tightened as he appealed to her in wordless concern. She shook her head furtively, asking him to wait with her eyes as she served their drinks.

"Thanks, honey."

Akio patted her hand before calling loudly to the kitchen.

"You won't believe this, Yuko! Kou's from Mie! He grew up right around where Chihiro fell in that river way back when!"

* * *

**HAKU**

"You kids have fun. Stay out as late as you like."

Akio waved as Yuko towed on her husband's arm as they headed back down the snowy path toward the shrine's exit. The elder male's round face was red with the bite of the frozen air and the several glasses of whiskey he had consumed over the course of their meal. The short walk from their home to the shrine did little to sober him. His words drifted from his lips in a cloud of white beneath the cheery red and yellow lanterns hanging on strings along the food vendor stalls.

"Goodnight, Mr. Ogino."

Haku bowed, making the male chortle and wave off his formality. Yuko was shivering inside her voluminous pink coat, pulling on her husband again.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?"

"You are too kind, Mrs. Ogino. I enjoy snow and look forward to the walk."

It was not entirely a lie. Haku did indeed enjoy snow.

The female, however, did not look entirely convinced.

"Alright then; take care of Chihiro. She gets cold easily."

Haku bowed to her this time and immediately she was blushing.

"I will, Mrs. Ogino."

Akio waved again as if sad to be leaving them, speaking to Chihiro now.

"Goodnight, honey."

Chihiro waved back, making her New Years arrow jingle loudly.

The smile she wore was thoroughly false.

It had haunted Haku all evening.

Worry forced him to work twice as hard to keep up the facade of their ruse as they courted her parents. In truth he found himself thoroughly surprised by the male and female. They seemed genuinely fascinated by him. For all his arrogance Akio was surprisingly good natured and laughed easily. Her mother, although brimming with unspoken judgments, seemed mesmerized by his every move. Yuko's childlike awe reminded him a great deal of Chihiro. There was much more depth to the humans than he first estimated. But then again, it was not the first time he had underestimated humans. Unfortunately their interest had not abated with time. As a result he and Chihiro were not left a single second to themselves. He had no way to divine the cause of the pain darkening her pale eyes. Glancing between her and the retreating humans, Haku strove to offer her solace thinking she was sad to part ways with her family.

"They love you very much, dear one. I see this in them clearly."

Still Chihiro stared after he parents as if seeing through them to something else. Ominous premonition buzzed in his veins even as finally she spoke.

"I know. That only makes this harder."

Haku frowned sharply, puzzling over her cryptic words he watched the Ogino's disappear into the crowd promenading along the stone path bisecting the wooded grounds. The small shrine was tucked against the steep rolling hills that bordered the distant edge of the housing development. It was unnervingly close to the old road, bustling with activity in spite of the dark and the bitter cold. Humans of all ages bundled in voluminous coats, long scarves, and plush mittens. They pressed together in small knots strolling up and down the straight path leading under. It was snowing ever so slightly and the low clouds reflected the light and sounds of the festivities.

But there were no Gods here.

The shrine was barren.

Still feeling the unnerving bite of his earlier prescience, Haku tightened his arm where it looped through Chihiro's. Without a word he led her away from the throng into the empty shadows beneath an ancient bare limbed cherry tree propped up with multiple braces. She followed without comment. Hidden in the dark he dropped the subterfuge he had so carefully woven, heaving a sigh as the weight of its burden lifted from his shoulders. Her hair flashed white in the gloom. Haku barely resisted the urge to touch it as he shrugged out of his tatter cloak, folding it to stow in his breast pocket. But as he opened his mouth to seek her confidence Chihiro turned her sober gaze toward the stone torii that stood at the entrance to the shrine complex.

"What we're looking for isn't here."

Haku's mouth hung open as she surprised him with her knowledge. Swallowing to cover his discomfort he turned his eyes to the dark rise of the hill. He did not need his compass to find the way this time. He knew these hills in a way no human could.

"Correct. It is in the mountains beyond."

Chihiro's pale eyes caught the lantern light as she followed his gaze. They flashed like mirrors in the dark, making him flinch. He shuddered as the unwanted memory of Sengen's mirror flitted through him. All at once premonition hummed in his quickening pulse as her voice turned unfamiliar and distant.

"All I can see is a rock. A huge mossy dark rock. There are chains on it."

Haku's brow furrowed deeper as she silently appealed to him for explanation. He hardly heard her words. He was too preoccupied with studying her face. Somehow he found her changed though she remained the same. It was terribly unsettling; so unsettling he felt the need to touch her. Collecting her face in his hands Haku found her face frozen beneath his palms as he stroked the soft skin with his thumbs.

"I find you strange, dear one. It frightens me."

Chihiro snorted, breaking the pall as she flashed him a sullen moue.

"Since when am I the _strange_ one?"

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. He blinked as at once she was looking at his mouth. Warmth surged in his chest as she began to stare hungrily, dispelling the frozen apprehension in his heart. Spontaneously he yanked her into his arms, loosing a chuckle as his efforts were rewarded by her tiny darling squeak of surprise. Elation sang in his blood at the sound of her giggle, lifting her chin as she stood on the very tips of her toes. Gladly Haku bent to oblige the wordless demand that kindled in her eyes only to be thwarted as she looked away toward the putter of a distant motorcycle engine.

"Isn't that your motorcycle?"

It was indeed.

Haku glimpsed the familiar blue wall vehicle offered by a part in the crowds.

He blinked again as Okesa stood on the seat, peering over the wall of human bodies obviously searching for them. Her ruby eyes contracted to slits as across the distance their eyes met. All the hair on her body stood on end. In a blink Okesa was standing in front of them. Chihiro shied into him with a gasp as the cat all but threw a wooden box into the snow at their feet. Shaking her hands as if they burned from touching it, Okesa jumped from foot to foot in a pantomime of repulsion. Then cat hissed furiously, advancing on Chihiro with flattened ears and lashing her tail. Se bristled from head to toe before jabbing one of her thick yellow claws at the box.

"Y'don' _never_ forget t'bring tha' wit' yeh, neh kiddo! _Never-ever!"_

Chihiro retreated, pressing back into him holding up her hands in placation.

"Okay! I got it, Cinna! S-sorry!"

Stunned, Haku stared askance at the wooden box, unconsciously retreated a step pulling Chihiro with him. The box vibrated with bizarre magic that chilled his blood.

"What is that _thing_!" He breathed beneath his breath.

Again the cat growled; glaring at the box like it might bite. She wiggled her claws in an expansive disorderly gesture at the container.

"S'called ah gehōbako. S'full o' _wily_ fujo magic!"

Haku's insides crawled with confusion. He had never heard of such a thing.

"Where did it come from!" He pressed in agitation.

Sinking over her heels Okesa lashed her fluffy tail and bared yellow teeth at it.

"Used t'be Obasama's."

Here cat tossed her head at Chihiro, cagily glancing from the corners of her red eyes. As she did the cat's pupils dilated until they could have swallowed the night.

"Now t'box an' all t'trouble tha' comes wit' it belongs t'her."

* * *

**Author's note:**

Just a reminder, there's a companion website for the Kamikakushi Saga. I call it the Onsen. I've added lots of new content. Check out maps and the blog for a new article and research images to go with chapters 1 - 11. To access this page Google, "Hakuryo Onsen Kamikakushi Saga Fan Guide."


	18. Chapter 18

**CHIHIRO**

Sen blinked as she found her hand in her pocket again.

Closing her hand around the tiny bit of wood she frowned in awe.

She thought Cinna was joking when the cat said to tell the box to get smaller.

But she wasn't joking.

Like some kinda magic trick the box obeyed her command.

It shrank and shrank until it fit in the palm of her hand.

Good thing too because there's no way she could lug it through the crowds.

Eager to get at the food and trinkets hawked by the raucous vendors, kids, teens, grandma, babies, moms, and dads bundled against the cold flocked to the stalls that transformed the flat yard of the shrine grounds into a winding labyrinth. It looked like the whole housing development had turned out. She recognized her parent's neighbors at an adjacent fried chicken booth. But the smell of smoke and delicious things was stunted by the bitter cold that set her breath billowing from her lips. Festive reds and yellows glowed in buzzing electric colors that stained the drifting snow in neon hues. The cold didn't seem to be deterring anyone because the narrow path left between the stands was so full of people the shrine visitors could barely shuffle along.

All except for them.

Without so much as slowing Kohaku smoothly threaded between the people.

She could barely keep up as he towed her along by the hand.

All of a sudden she felt ten-years-old again.

Like ghosts they blew by on an eerie wind unnoticed by the other humans.

Stumbling along behind him she was forced to quicken her pace to keep up. He'd grabbed her hand only to take off at break-neck speed the moment she'd put the gehōbako in her pocket. Baffled by his sudden need to hurry she held her questions as their brisk pace left her huffing and puffing. Kicking up a wind that fluttered the blue tarps stretched overhead, they sprinted out of the vendors area past the gabled rise of the main shrine complex. Someone inside was drumming and chanting loudly. But they quickly turned their back on the blinding bright spilling out into the yard, abruptly diverting, leaving behind the dazzled gold carnival of lights for the pitch black that filled the spaces between the spindly trees in the woods beyond.

Whereas she hadn't noticed it before, the bell of her good luck arrow jingled and jangled loudly in her ear as if bounced off her shoulder. The din of voices hanging like a cloud over the shrine grew thin, blocked in patched by the trees until it was replaced entirely by the persistent hush of running water. Snow creaked and crunched under her feet, growing deeper and deeper as they plunged into the woods on what seemed like a random path. Worried they might have lost her, she cast her gaze over her shoulder only to find Cinna loping along in her shadow unfazed by their speed. All too quickly she lost sight of the cat in the pressing dark that surged up over her head in a chilling wave. The impermeable black filled her gaze to the point where everything seemed to crawl with unnerving movement as her eyes struggled to make sense of the void. She was left grinding her teeth wishing they'd brought the lantern along with them.

Kohaku seemed to know where he was going.

In spite of the vision that'd seized her at the shrine Sen did not.

Exasperated, she opened her mouth to try and speak between her gasping breaths. Before she could the canopy of trees broke over her head. If only for a moment filtered light fell from above, reflecting off the low clouds as they darted across a road paved with ancient flagstones. Ice glistened on the stones, making them glitter brightly even in the pitch black. Abruptly her insides clambered about in shock as she recognized the road. Her heels jarred against the solid stone making her stumble. But Kohaku didn't so much as skip a beat. Ignoring the sight of the road he hauled her along against her will, heading back into the woods on the opposite side without so much as glancing. Again she threw her eyes over her shoulder only to grit her teeth. She could barely make out the looming shadow in the gloom of the woods. But she saw it all the same.

One of the mossy stone guardians loomed in the dark.

As if watching them, it hung back on the opposite bank.

Startled, she threw her gaze back over her shoulder only to have her heart sank like a stone as she lost sight of it. But she forgot it as they plunged down the steep embankment on the other side of the road. Startled and off balance she dropped her good luck arrow, letting loose a gasp that quickly turned to a shriek as she slipped on ice. Her stomach lurched up into her throat she skidded forward into the swallowing dark. All at once the wind left her lungs as something caught her around the middle, swinging her in a giddy whirl only to firmly plant her feet back on the ground. Automatically her arms locked around Kohaku's narrow waist as her legs trembled with the memory of the unstable ground.

"Neh, neh!" Cinna hushed, "Dropped yer arrow, kiddo."

Again Sen squeaked as something pulled at her coat. Startled again, she jerked to the side as her skin crawled all up and down her side at the contact. The bell on the good luck arrow rang loudly in the silence of the woods as the cat dropped it with a hiss. Not made for this terrain Sen's boots slipped in the snow, nearly dumping her down the steep slope of the icy hill. Kohaku had to catch her again. His hands gripped her waist, firmly anchoring her against him. Like some kinda magic mountain goat he didn't so much as budge even as she teetered. Once again clinging to the rough canvas of his jacket she wheezed and panted. Dropping her forehead against his chest as her face burned in embarrassment, she tried to catch her breath.

"Can we slow down? I can't see anything!"

His voice vibrated inside her chest as he spoke in quiet concern.

"Apologies, Chihiro."

Again her insides squeezed and shifted uncomfortably. That name didn't feel right anymore. It felt like a lie that for some reason left her at a loss. Just like calling him Haku didn't seem right anymore either. Baffled by the sensation Sen passed it by, struggling to catch her breath. All at once she was distracted as he took back a hand to dig in his pocket. She flinched as he tilted up her chin, making him hesitate.

"May I?"

As she nodded in confusion he carefully slipped something onto the bridge of her nose. She shivered as cold magic nibbled her face, pulsing across her face and making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Sen blinked and blinked and blinked some more as suddenly she could see! Touching the glasses, she gaped at Kohaku in wonder. His face resolved out of the dark clear as day, jade eyes gleaming with unnerving luminosity as he bowed his head almost unperceivably. But the hint of amusement sparkling in his gaze tempered the Godishness. His hot breath lifted from his lips in a curtain of white that drifted slowly into the canopy as he explained quietly.

"Though these will help you see, dear one, be forewarned. They will force you to see _everything_."

Confused, Sen began to understand what he meant as abruptly her gaze slide across the hill only to see the forest in crystal clarity. As if invisible hands were turning her head her attention was directed to Cinna as the cat fidgeted anxiously. She was crouched barefoot in the snow at Kohaku's heels cagily craning her neck and swiveling her ears as if hearing hundreds of sounds Sen couldn't. Again her head turned suddenly, neck jarring as her eyes swept down the slope following a slight depression in the snow. This turned out to be a trail. Her eyes bounced between the trees, straining into the distance to an uninspiring bridge so narrow and rickety she was instantly nervous. This traversed a deep, deep gorge that resolved out of the gloom in eerie looming shapes. Massive boulders heaved between the spindly pines as if swelling and continuing to grow. Polished smooth by the elements they littered the landscape, piling up out of the canyon precarious balanced on each other as if scattered and stacked by a behemoth creature. The quiet fizz of falling water filtered from below, cutting through the thick silence hanging like a physical presence over the snow blanketed woods.

Again he had her hand, pulling her forward before she could object. At least he slowed down, walking sure-footed as ever he held her hands, guiding her along the treacherously icy trail. The trees fell back leaving the low cloudy sky to press down from above. Thin wisps of snow drifted down into unhurried curls as the hissing rush of falling water intensified. It filled her ears, making her heart thrill as she let go of Kohaku's hands to approach the lip of the crevasse. A corroded railing cordoned the carapace. Bone-chilling wind poured up over the edge, blowing right through her as she retreated back a step from the dizzying drop into darkness that yawned below. But the she came up short, knocking into Kohaku only to find him frowning at a weather beaten sign. Following his attention Sen found it advertised the Demon Rocks Park trail. Half had broken off, most likely abandoned with the rest of whatever tourist attraction had been set up here way back when.

At once she was frowning sharply.

She'd lived in Minamizu for half of her life.

Never once had she heard of the Demon Rocks.

Glaring past the sign she found the bridge similarly forgotten. More a set of stairs than a bridge, the casement was built out of planks of wood and buttressed by thin aluminum struts. The icy planks looked spongy and pitted with age and moss as they slouched across the gorge. The whole thing leaned to the side at an unnerving angle as it led down to the opposite rim. Here a pile of massive boulders piled like a house. Two slanting slabs sloped away from each other like the gables of a shrine. An ancient stone torii stood watch in front of a part between the stones. Out of this spilled the all too human smell of wood smoke. Frowning deeper and deeper, Sen studied a plank of wood painted with an arrow that pointed across the chasm.

_This way to cave shrine!_

So the sign announced in faded font reminiscent of calligraphy.

But a yellow and black rope stretched across the head bearing another plastic sign.

_Danger! Do not cross! Bridge closed due to damage!_

Sen jumped at the sound of Kohaku's quiet voice.

"Do you see the water?

Sen followed his pointing finger as he directed her gaze into the distance.

"That is Matsuno dam."

On the horizon so far in the distance she could barely see it even with the help of the glasses her eyes ghosted up the man-made slope to the glittering mirror of the dark water held back beyond the wall of earth. He continued to offer information about this strange place as if it was common place.

"When the humans built this dam the plains between the bath house and clock tower town began to flood every night when the boundaries between the worlds become thin. Yubaba was exceedingly vexed as it forced her to buy ferries to shuttle customers."

Sen blinked and blinked some more as she stared at the reservoir seeing it in a new light. Skating her eyes to the side, she studied the swelling rise of trees realizing that they were a short walk away from the tunnel she and her parents stumbled through way back when. As she stared at the dark hill her exposed skin crackled with the premonition as the bell in her heart hummed. All of a sudden she was exceedingly aware of the nibble of magic seeping through every branch, leaf, and stone in this place. Sen breathed out a white cloud of apprehension, nervously pushing the glasses up her nose only to follow Kohaku's finger as he pointed into the chasm this time.

"Below is another tunnel where the world thin again. It is here the trains carrying coal once crossed. Perhaps you remember them, dear one?"

Overwhelmed by the haunted topography, Sen turned to stare at him instead.

Kohaku looked edgy as his luminous jade eyes stared into the distance.

She didn't like seeing him like that.

The fact that he was nervous made her even more nervous.

She whispered beneath her breath as if afraid something might be listening.

"Why are we here anyway?"

He shivered from head to toe and took a step away from the ledge.

"Before you joined me this morning in the kitchen the young priest shared with me a vision seen by his grandfather. Goshiro-san described a place all too familiar to me. It is here. Apparently there is knowledge to be gained from one who dwells within."

Cinna flattened her ears and lashed her tail. Drawing her lips into a grim dubious line she tossed her head at the gorge.

_"_Gives me _t'heebie jeebies_! Dunno if aye wanna know wot's it's got t'say."

Kohaku's eyes narrowed seriously as he studied the bridge.

All at once he was Godish again.

"Last I walked these stones I was enslaved by a mere tanuki. This place is steeped in deception. If there is advantage to be found in these hills I will gladly seek it."

Cinna growled beneath her breath, grinning yellow teeth as she glared up at him.

"Ain't yeh never heard t'sayin' curiosity killed t'cat!?"

He glanced at her frostily.

"You do not have to accompany us, Okesa."

She gave him a shove, momentarily knocking him off balance.

"Yeh's an _idiot_ if y'really think aye'd letcha go it alone!"

As he glanced down at the cat Kohaku's eyes softened. But Sen missed it as she blinked rapidly, still struggling with something he said earlier.

"What d'you mean you were _enslaved_?!"

Appealing for explanation she watched his face become an unreadable mask. He starred off into the distance refusing to meet her gaze. But his eyes couldn't lie. They filled with a baffling storm even as his quiet tenor went hoarse.

"That is a long story, dear one. There is not time for it now."

Sen's insides scrambled in panic as suddenly Cinna ducked under warning rope cordoning off the bridge. Instinctually she lunged after the cat. But she ghosted through Sen's fingers skulking off down the steps.

"Okesa!" Kohaku hissed beneath his breath, reaching after her as well.

The cat ignored them both. Like a lithe little shadow she dropped down the steps without making a sound. Halfway across Cinna paused only to peer over the railing. Her tail bristled out until every hair on her body was standing on end. Her glittering red eyes dilated as they swallowed the dizzying drop below. Shrinking back, the cat straightened as if summoning courage then jump in place three times with all her body weight! Sen cringed in horror as the bridge wobbled and gyrated, loosing a low shuddering creak! Already Kohaku has ripped his umbrella from his coat. It was halfway open over his head before Cinna grinned up at them vigorously motioning for them to follow. Skipping across the cat paused in front of the torii, crouching as she collected up behind one of its pillars, sniffing the air and peering at the opening between the stones.

Sen wilted in relief, clinging to the banister as Kohaku glared after the cat wringing the haft of his umbrella. But he kept it in one hand only to offer her the other as he lifted the rope with it point. Even as her legs turned heavy and rubbery Sen accepted his hand and followed grinding her teeth. But as she approached the lip of the first step memories of the staircase beside Yubaba's bath house flooded her head all in a rush. Remembering how one of the boards has snapped beneath her feet she panicked.

Yanking back her hand, her vision went white as something snapped inside her. Throwing her hands high she bolted. Sen had no recollection of crossing the bridge. All at once she was standing on the opposite side of the gorge on the wonderfully firm ground vigorously jumping in place as her skin crawled with horror. She shrank from the bridge hugging her chest as Kohaku crossed the last length of boards so calm she wanted to kick him! Again he was wearing that carefully guarded expression. All the same his eyes laughed at her openly. Pulling an irritable moue she glared back challenging. Lucky for him he didn't say a thing.

Here Kohaku's demeanor changed. Her insides went perfectly cold as his jade eyes went dangerous as they slide sideways to the opening in the rocks. He held stiller than still as he stared at it from the corners of his eyes. Premonition hummed in Sen's heart and chill went spidering up her spine as she tried to make sense of his response. Wearing a similar expression Cinna skulked over to crouch at his side. She sniffed the air again only to wiggle her claws and lash her tail.

"Can't smell nothin' but smoke, neh kitten!"

The cat muttered in her graveling voice.

By way of acknowledgement he bowed to her.

"Is that bad?" Sen cut in while feeling stupid.

The cat glanced back at her pulling a moue.

"Means aye don' know wot's down there, neh?

Kohaku pulled a small box from his pocket. Sen recognized the compass immediately. Opening the lid he glanced at the face only for a second before gesturing toward the cave.

"What we seek is this way. "

Here he smoothed a hand over the front of his jacket even though it wasn't wrinkled or disarranged. It was a thoroughly human motion. It made Sen notice the sweat beading on his upper lip in spite of the cold. He was obviously scared, struggling with something as he glanced at her only to quickly look away. Frowning sharply, Sen pursued it as she came to his side peering up at him.

"What's wrong?"

He flinched as she took his elbow, still evading her pointed stare. A muscle was jumping in the back of his jaw as he drew his lips into a grim line. He swallowed with difficulty before whispering hoarsely.

"I cannot ask you to remain here for I desperately wish you to accompany."

Sen blinked, trying not to be annoyed. He wasn't asking her to stay behind. Suzume might have ordered her to do just that. Gently she reminded him of the obvious.

"I'm not helpless, Kohaku."

He looked at her finally as she used his true name. The storm of conflict was back in his eerie jade eyes as he stared at her solemnly. Her insides squeezed as he swept a wild hair back from her eyes only to let his warm fingers linger.

"This I know, dear one. You have saved my life countless times. Knowing you stand beside me bring nameless strength. All the same, I fear for your well being because I fear I may not be strong enough to ward off whatever we encounter within."

They both jumped as the cat hissed at them.

_"Oi!"_ Cinna interjected saucily, "Wot am aye, neh! Chopped liver? Aye's gonna look after both y'pokes!"

Before the cat could skulk by Kohaku caught her by the arm. As she bared her teeth as if to bite him he held up a hand of caution.

"Permit me to go first, dear Okesa? I fear just as much for your well being."

Sen blinked in surprise as he politely asked her permission. The cat seemed equally surprised both by his politeness and his obvious affection. All she could do was nod and agree. That left Sen and Cinna to vie for the next place in line. Sen jockeyed forward only to loose to the cat's speed. But she forgot her irritation even as the cat sashayed her hips in triumph. When they passed under the torii her insides seized and scrambled as something like a shadow fell over them. The bell hummed as it intensified to the point of dread as the mouth of the cavern loomed larger and larger. All at once her pulse was racing in her ears and cold sweat stood out on her face, making her hands clammy. Sen shoved the glasses back up her nose as they slid down her slick skin.

"Did you feel that!?" Sen hissed.

Crowding forward she grabbed a handful of the cat's sweater.

"No more talking, please," Kohaku instructed somberly.

He paused at the opening between the rocks, hair flying about in the wind pouring out of the mouth to the cave. It was cold it made Sen's teeth ache! She ground them together to keep them from chattering, hugging herself to try and hold onto any warmth. But as Kohaku entered the cave he knocked into something only to recoil clasping his forehead uttering a sharp exclamation.

_ "Itaii!"_

Sen and Cinna froze in surprise staring up at him.

At once his face was bright red as he glanced back at them in embarrassment.

Taking back his hand he revealed a raised knot on his brow.

Fidgeting and casting about, he awkwardly motioned toward the rocks.

"Take care. The ceiling is quite low."

Before she could ask if he was okay the cat dragged her forward by a handful of her coat. Inside the stone walls pressed close making her instantly claustrophobic. Dripping water froze in long white ribbons of ice along the walls, becoming icicles that hung in sharp stalactites from the ceiling. Kohaku creep along ducking lower than was necessary. The glasses directed her eyes to his side as his hand emerged from his pocket. He clutched something that looked like a pocket watch. Then he ducked through a part in the stones only to sink out of sight. Panic flared in her chest and she quickened her pace. Shoving by Cinna Sen clambered through the narrow part in the stones chasing after him. She was forced to come up short atop another aluminum staircase as the cat seized her around the middle pulling her back with strength she had no hope of escaping.

"Let me go!"

"Pip down, kiddo," The cat hissed in her ear, "Somethin's nae right!"

Sen froze in caution as the cat snuffled the air before flattening her ears. Shoving her back the cat crept forward. With glittering eyes Cinna scanned the cavern from their hidden vantage point. Sen followed her gaze trying to see what she saw. The smell of smoke intensified as the chamber opened into a massive cavern. Cracks and passages opened every which way between the gargantuan boulders, letting the gray cloud of smoke billowing up the adjacent soot stained wall filter through the distant ceiling. The wall turned out to be a colossal square rock. The thing was a big as her parent's house! It was the keystone holding up the rest of the boulders. All the rocks here were festooned in old rice ropes that marked sacred spaces. Their aged yellow paper streamers waved and rustled in a whispering symphony in the heat spilling up from the mother stone's feet.

It was there that Kohaku stood. He was cut in sharp relief against the firelight spilling across the sandy floor. Beyond him was an untended fire in a pit lined with stones. It reflected around the bowl of the cavern, filling the space with diffuse light. The glasses jerked her head to the side, showing her that someone had made a rude bed out of blankets in an alcove beside the fire. Again the lenses directed her eyes to the food containers were neatly stacked beside a backpack of some kind. Abruptly Sen shrank in terror as a voice like smoke echoed in the cavern coming from everywhere and nowhere.

_ "Momotarō-san, Momotarō-san!" _

Her heart thundered in her ears as she realized someone was singing.

_ "Those millet dumplings on your waist? Won't you give me one?"_

Sen recognized the song immediately. It was a kid's song sang in school.

But there was nothing childlike about it.

_ "I'll give you one, I'll give you one. I'm on a quest to conquer the oni."_

All at once her blood turned to ice and dread hummed in her heart.

The bell gave a peal of warning.

_ "If you come with me, I'll give you one."_

Abruptly the singing silenced leaving the fire to fizzle and crackle in its wake. The air in the cavern became ominously heavy as Kohaku fished something from his pocket. Bowing, he held up the fresh branch garlanded with folded paper. The emerald leaves gleamed like jewels in the firelight. His voice echoed in the cavern strong and clear even as his hands shook ever so slightly.

"Forgive my intrusion, O-kami-sama! I seek your wisdom!"

The wood smoke voice answered from everywhere, echoing through the cavern.

"I am no God, stranger."

Kohaku seemed thoroughly surprised by that. His confidence faltered, breaking into obvious confusion as he lowered the offering. Again the glasses directed Sen's eyes to the pocket watch in his hand as he moved his thumb to the button on its side. What good was a pocket watch anyway!? At once Sen fought Cinna's grip with renewed vigor.

"Listen, neh!" The cat persisted, "S'ah _human_! S'tryin' t'scare us off!"

From their vantage point they watched Kohaku return the branch to his coat before he turned in a circle scanning the cave. His jade eyes were incandescent in the firelight, brimming with curiosity.

"I was told to seek the council of the oracle here. This place belongs to the gods. If you are not kami then why do you dwell here?"

As it spoke next the voice became less and less imposing.

At once it was female, firm and full of authority.

"You're either dumb or brave. Most people run off when I use that trick."

The glasses threw Sen's eyes to the side wrenching them painfully as the lenses directed her attention to a side tunnel. Her footsteps echoed through all the nooks and crannies sounding like they were coming from everywhere at once. All in a rush Sen realized the woman was using the acoustics of the tunnels to make her voice all scary.

But the moment Sen saw her she knew the woman was a fujo. All the same, she was not at all what Sen expected. She was younger than Kazue but had obviously lived a hard life. At least Kazue looked _priestly_ in her red and white shrine outfit. This fujo was dressed in hiking gear like she was heading on a cross-country trek. Her orange waterproof jacket was completely out of context beside the remnants of the shrine. But like Kazue her hair was white as the wood smoke curling in the ceiling above, bound at the back of her head in a tight knot. Hard as stone her pale eyes flashed like steal. A perma-frown dug deep lines into her grim expression.

Kohaku saw her the same moment the fujo ducked out of the shadows.

Cagily he circled to her side.

Strange, the fujo couldn't see past the surface of what Kohaku was.

All at once she was scolding him like he was a stupid teenager.

"I don't know what kind of hazing thing you're going through. Even if your pals or whatever quack spiritual teacher sent you out here on a test of courage, you're an _idiot_ for coming! You'd better leave and never come back!"

As the fujo scoffed Kohaku riled visibly.

But he held onto his temper even as she continued to bitch him out.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice as you passed through but _bad_ things happened on the other side of the world here. Some of it escaped not too long ago."

At once Kohaku was looking towards the shadows gritting his teeth.

Ignoring the fujo he got caught up in worries about something else entirely.

Not that she blamed him.

Just the mention of Forgotten made her blood run cold!

"What about the Gaki? The night river should have held them back."

Sen cringed as the truth just ran out of him like water.

Oh, when was he going to learn when to lie or at least keep his mouth shut!?

Stunned, the fujo stared at him for several seconds.

"Nothing else crossed… I made a gate that's holding back the rest."

At once she took a step away from him, scowling as she studied him intently.

"You certainly know a lot for a kid. What did you want to ask me anyway?"

Pride flashed in his eyes like lightning, finally getting the better of him as he growled low in his chest. The sound reverberated in the cavern like a crack of thunder making Sen's heart skipped a beat. Immediately the glasses directed her eyes to Kohaku's shadow. With intensity that bordered on pain she was forced to study his silhouette as it poured backwards, spilling behind him in a long inky river. It writhed and churned, painting across the walls of the cavern in the massive curling coils of a dragon.

"Mind your words, fujo!" Kohaku instructed forbiddingly, "I am no child!"

Finally the fujo was seeing him for the first time and her pale eyes went wide with understanding. Recoiling from another step she feigned terror even as the glasses showed Sen that the fujo wasn't scared at all. If anything her face tightened with resolve as her eyes flashed with dangerous calm. Taken in by her ruse Kohaku gentled, raising a hand as if about to reassure her. Before Sen could shout a warning bells rang so suddenly even Kohaku didn't have time to react.

The sound hit him like a punched to the gut.

His feet left the ground like someone had ninja kicked him in the face.

He caught air, landing hard only to knock his head.

Sen fought to see him.

But even as a scream boiled on her lips the glasses wrenched her eyes aside.

They forced her to look on as something small flew from his hand.

Whatever it was shattered on the stones.

Then the bells hit Cinna as well.

The cat's screech of agony threw her back against the aluminum grating.

Sen had seen bells used on Gods before but never like this!

As the cat thrashed her claws ripped at Sen's face and clothes.

She scramble aside as again the bells peeled a terrifying screeching sound.

Rice ropes surged up over the aluminum landing.

They seized Cinna, coiling around her like snakes.

Sen lunged to keep hold of the cat pulling with all her might.

But the ropes were too strong.

Sen held on to the cat's arm until the ropes ripped Cinna from her grasp.

Momentum dragged Sen after the cat.

Pain exploded in bright sparklers inside her body.

It devoured her vision as she dumped down the steps.

Somehow she managed to catch the railing of the aluminum stairs.

Her arms wrenched in their sockets as she yanked to a stop.

But as she hung there stunned she caught a glimpse of the sandy grotto below.

Sen flinched, shuddering as her bones turned to jelly, because the fujo tossed her hand side to side making bronze bells glint like blades in the firelight. These threaded along on a thick looping wire affixed to the red lacquered handle. The five colored ribbons garlanding the hilt whizzed through the air. They cracked like whips as the fujo lashed them back and forth. Following the call of the bells more rice ropes erupted from the sandy floor anchoring Cinna to the ground. But even as the cat hissed and writhed the ropes held her. Tossing her hand high the bells disappeared from the fujo's palm only to be replaced by a bow and arrow. This the fujo drew with expert skill aiming the point right at Cinna's heart. The cat's eyes dilated black as she froze.

"Be patient, cat," the fujo murmured coldly, "You're next."

Wheeling the point around she turned it at Kohaku.

He was still lying stunned in the sand.

"Errant God!" The fujo intoned ominously, "You are unwelcome in this world! Go back and never return!"

All this happened so fast she couldn't keep up.

Sen didn't even have a second to think from the moment the bells first rang.

But the sight of the arrow pointed at him sent Sen vaulting upright.

A crashing wave of calm came flooding through her as her hand was in her pocket.

"Bow!" Sen commanded the box hiding there.

At once it obeyed, planting the supple wood shaft in her palm. This Sen drew free in a long smooth motion even as she surged down the stairs on fleet feet completely at odds with her earlier clumsiness.

"String!" She demanded.

It twanged into existence as she sighted on the fujo. Magic resisted and helixed with potential as she drew back her arm. Fire sparked from her pursed her lips as she blew a short controlled breath. The flaming bolt catapulted from her bow as she let the humming string go. Sailing through the air the arrow of fire it smashed into the stone at the fujo's back. Sen gritted her teeth as the arrow intentionally missed its mark. She could've killed her in that moment and the knowledge made Sen's insides crawl with horror. But even still, the flaming arrow was more than enough to distract the fujo.

The woman recoiled with a shriek as the fire exploded, spraying her with hungry snapping embers. But even as it surged around her in hungry crackling tongues the fujo mastered it. Making the fire her own the fujo crushed it beneath her feet before recoiling. Utterly confused the woman stared as if stunned by her appearance. As the fujo gaped Sen struggled to hold back the fire balanced on her lips. She swallowed the bright point of heat, all at once sweat was pouring down her body. Her lips went so dry they split and she could taste blood. But even as feral fire raged in her chest she held it in check.

"What _t'hell_ is your problem, lady!?"

Some of the fire escaped as she shouted. It smoldered behind her eyelids only to escape in licking tongues that climbed up from the corners of her eyes. As if jolted awake by the sound and the sight the fujo threw her hand to the side. The bells disappeared only to be replaced by her bow. This fujo aimed an arrow right at her. Sen's insides clambered around in terror as the woman drew the string to her chin in a move so smooth it left her backpedaling sharply.

"Are you God or human!?"

"H-human?" Sen stammered abruptly.

Bewildered, she found herself unsure. The woman's iron features went slack if only for a moment. Then her shrewd colorless eyes glimmered with an uncanny understanding that made Sen's skin crawl and shiver. It felt like the woman was looking right through her. Whatever she saw must've meant something because the tip of her arrow wheeled toward the ground. At once she was barking commands they way a supervisor yelled at underlings.

"I see you, sister. Name your mother and your mother's mother."

Sen blinked as the questions bounced off her head meaninglessly.

"Huh?"

The fujo's eyes flashed with irritation.

"Your _teacher_, little girl! What is her name!?"

Harried by the stranger's harsh words Sen blurted the truth.

"S-she's dead."

The fujo nodded curtly as if that was to be expected.

"Do these Gods belong to you?"

Utterly confused, Sen answered uncertainly.

"N-no?"

The fujo got way serious as her eyes flicked at Kohaku.

Whatever she saw knocked all the color from her face.

"Do you know where that one came from? I've never seen anything like him! He's a God but he _feels_ human!"

Sen interjected herself between the fujo and Kohaku as she drew the arrow again.

"_Whoa_! You wanna tell me why _t'hell_ you're trying to _kill_ us!?"

Sen flinched as the fujo's attention wheeled back to her.

"I though you said these Gods don't belong to you!"

Again Sen had no idea what to say. At a loss she choked on the truth.

"They don't. They're my friends."

At once the air was crackling with tension as the fujo searched her up and down as if seeing her for the first time only to discover they were enemies. Along with it came the sighted point of her arrow.

"So you do keep Gods after all."

Gritting her teeth and grabbing her bow in both hands Sen held it out in front of her like she'd seen Kohaku do when he was trying to avoid a fight.

"Look! All we want is to ask you a couple of questions then we'll leave, okay?!

"No. It's not okay. There is no _we_, little girl; only us and them."

Sen's mouth fell open in astonishment as the fujo explained herself.

"I do not keep Gods, little girl. I send them back; even the ones who haven't turned; even the ones kept by other fujo. It doesn't matter what you do; eventually this world will drive Gods mad and make them turn. When they do they create a foothold in this world that makes it possible for things like the Forgotten to cross. I cannot allow that to happen."

Sen's insides seized and scrambled as the fujo's eyes went dangerously cold. The conviction in the fujo's eyes chilled her blood because the crazy lady really meant what she was saying.

"I… I don't understand!"

The fujo snorted bitterly. Standing taut and ready like she'd been born with a bow in her hand the fujo didn't even look tired even as Sen's knees trembled with the exertion it took to keep control of her fire.

"It's obvious that you're a novice and an idiot so I'll spell it out for you. You have a choice: leave now and live or stay and die."

All at once anger and terror thrilled up into her throat as Sen went sick with the possibility that she might actually have to _hurt_ this crazy woman to get her to stop! Her sweaty hands began to shake even as her fire continued to crack and rage, straining to fight its way free. All at once Sen was pleading with the fujo, desperately holding out her bow as if it could prevent her from coming any closer.

"Look, lady! I mean it when I say really don't want to fight you!"

The fujo's face went even grimmer as she murmured the words.

"So be it, little girl."

The only reason Sen saw was because of the glasses.

They saved her life.

She threw herself sideways as the fujo let go of her string.

But the bitch was fast, way too fast!

She wasn't playing nice or holding back.

This wasn't a kid's story.

And Sen paid the price for treating all of this like it didn't count.

The fujo's arrow caught her right in the shoulder. It glanced off a rib, burying itself deep in the nook between her arm socket and shoulder blade, punching into her with such force she spun on her toes. She bounced as the impact threw her down knocking all the out of her lungs. That was the only reason she couldn't scream as agony set fire to her entire body. It all happened so fast it took a second for pain to catch up with her. But then it crashed over her in a crushing wave that set every nerve and vein in her chest and arm burning with agony as her vision swam in nauseating clouds of red and white. Bells rang in her ears even as harsh reed ropes exploded from the sand, threading around her to tighten like vices. As she finally managed to drag in a gasping breath it escaped her lips in a tortured scream. She nearly passed out in the swimming sea of red hot icy agony.

Then the fujo was standing right over her drawing another arrow.

The crazy bitch's face was dead as she sighted the point.

There wasn't enough time to do anything.

Sen could barely think through the pain.

Her fire got all kinds of confused in the mess of it.

The fujo intoned her words like this was all some sick ritual.

"I see you, Sen. You are a bridge that cannot be allowed to stand."


	19. Chapter 19

**CHIHIRO**

Frozen dread dissolved the ground beneath her back.

It felt like she was falling, like she'd tipped off the cliffs by Sengen's arch again.

Time seemed to slow as the fujo released the arrow.

The buzzing twang of the bow string hummed on her skin.

With the sound came a familiar shadow.

Sen was no stranger to its presence.

It had chased her with needled fingers that left a scar on her thigh.

It had thrown her off a roof then tried to strangle her in Onsen's pond.

It had swallowed her whole only to spit her up.

Here it was again, glinting in the firelight, flying forward to meet her.

But even as death reached for her, something ripped her from its grip.

The arrow shattered mid-air, cut in half, knocked aside. Harmless splinters pelted Sen's face. Finally she saw the sword as again it flashed back and forth like silent lighting. Wind; it hissed through the air in a blinding flash. And her insides sang with relief because it smelled like rain. Kohaku's passed over her like a silent cloud, eclipsing the gouts of fire that erupted in the periphery of her vision like demons of like. Sen gritted her teeth against a scream of pain as the wind towed on the shaft of the arrow. Rolling onto her side to escape the pull of the gale she found her nose inches from the cats. Cinna stared at her in helpless horror, cringing and writhing as angry bells rang and screamed in their ears. Again that great welling wave of calm washed through Sen as she stared at her friend and knew that she would die if she didn't do something.

Instinct took over, slicing through pain with the indomitable urge to escape. Fighting the sharp cutting edges of the twined rice reeds, Sen wormed her hand between the anchoring ropes. But even as she struggled for some reason the ropes were beginning to relax even as the bindings holding the cat didn't so much as budge. Sen knew in that uncanny way of knowing without knowing that it was because she was human. Finally Sen's hand slipped into her coat pocket; barely she brushed the lid of the gehobako with her index finger. All she could see what the memory of the dragons on the knife's scabbard. She held the cold stare of the beast's sapphire eyes firmly in her mind.

_ "Knife!"_

Even as she hissed the word between her teeth it was in her hand. The biting metal was on fire with cold as she struggled to free it from the scabbard. Finally the blade slid free. Barely nicking the ropes Chihiro jolted as they shuddered and rustled. At once they writhed against her body like living things, disintegrating into frothing salt water! The water soaked her through only to start up from clothes in hissing plumes of steam that got snatched away into the shrieking wind. Sen struggled not to scream again as another fierce gale towed on the arrow. Rolling back onto her side to get the fletching out of their reach she shuddered as more wetness rolled across her skin inside her clothes.

It wasn't cold or warm.

She could barely even feel it except for the shivering creep of it against her chest.

Then she realized it was blood; her blood.

Sen fought the urge to throw up as she ground her teeth only to realize Cinna was an arm's length away. The cat was struggling desperately in the uncompromising grip of the straw ropes that trussed her from ankle to shoulder. Her perfectly round red eyes stared in awe at something Sen couldn't see. Sen didn't even try to see. Extending her arm even as it shook with exhaustion she barely nicked the cat's ropes with Sengen's knife. Again they recoiled in writhing rustling, eroding like a lit fuse as they transformed into frothy, hissing, salt water! The cat got doused even as she catapulted off the ground like a spring trap. Then the bells rang again in Sen's ears like silver thunder. The one in her heart hummed in sympathy. Lying there Sen wondered bitterly what good looking in Sengen's mirror had done her.

Because she hadn't seen _any_ of this!

* * *

**HAKU**

Gods above his head ached. He could not hear anything but the hot throb of his pulse in his ears. It sloshed and swam, filling his skull with angry schools of fish. All the same something nagged through the pain, forcing him to open his eyes. Rolling onto his side he cringed as his pupils tightened painfully. Light dug daggers into the backs of his eyes making his ears ring. Much to his chagrin he could still hear those cursed bells! But then he flinched as something fell beside him spraying him with sand.

It took him a second to see Chihiro.

He saw the arrow first.

Fletched in red, it protruded from her chest.

This could not be real! This had to be some terrible nightmare!

Disbelieving his eyes he stared at the arrow in mounting horror. He did not comprehend the thick bristling ropes that burst from the sand spraying him with more grit. As they bound her tightly her scream of agony stuck him worse than any blow the fujo's bells might muster. The sound shattered something deep inside him. It set free something dark and forgotten. Hanoane was in his hand. Not needing to see he cut down every arrow. Even still, all he could see in his mind's eye was the arrow in Chihiro's chest! Through the veil of that hideousness vision he set his eyes on the fujo and knew it was she who had put the arrow there.

_HATE! _

He had not known such baleful feeling since he took Jouma's head from her shoulders! Caught up in the crushing wave of its influence he promised Hanoane blood as the wind of his rage detonated in the cavern like a bomb. Feral and unyielding, it screamed up the walls. The mistrals scored ruts in the stones with searing ribbons of sand. Ferociously the tempest obliterated the fujo's subsequent barrage of projectiles. All at once the bells returned.

Bells! Bells! _Horrid_ _bells!_ Their throbbing rhythm weighed of his arms and legs like a hundred stone. At once Haku threw himself into dance lest the chiming tones hurl him down once more. Winding his way through their grasping persuasion, he arched and whirled holding Hanoane tight against his side ready to strike at any moment. Even as the bells sought to hold him down he propelled himself aloft, planting in every step a coiled upsurge of air. He evaded their snares only through constant change, switching back and forth through every style and movement he had ever seen among God and human. As he shot high like a top again his eyes fell on the fujo as she struggled to catch hold of him. Clearly he saw in her face a bald expression of dismay and confusion and knew that he had already won.

Bloodlust surged in his veins as he landed only to spring over another reaching grab of the bells, whipping forward into a flip that set him right at the fujo's feet. Back peddling sharply, she barely deflected Hanoane's edge on ringing bells. The terror etched on her face made the fujo sluggish. Her rhythm broke only for a second. That thin sliver of time was all Haku needed. He slashed sideways and sliced her suzu in half. The bells slipped from the severed metal loop in jangling dissonant chimes. One crushed beneath his foot as he lunged forward with Hanoane held over his head. The fujo stumbled back against the granite wall as a shout of rage lifted from Haku's lips to mix with his screeching wind.

The gale answered his call, boiling ahead of him.

It eroded the stone in heaving rivers of scoring sand.

The searing wind tore across the fujo's exposed skin.

As she shrieked as it turn pink then ran with red.

Gratified by the sight of blood he lifted his sword to end her.

Then bewildering bells rang again!

Haku knocked sideways under their persuasion only to catch himself. Vaulting backwards through the air he whipped his feet back toward the ground and brought his blade ready as he landed with a vigorous spring. Bloodlust thundered in his veins as it propelled him forward. He clashed with his new assailant only to have her withdraw and evade him. It took Haku a moment to see Okesa through the curtain of red in his eyes. Abruptly he skidded to a halt in the sand only to drop Hanoane as terror struck the blade from his hands.

Rage still boiled in his blood.

It had blinded him utterly!

In its thrall he had struck at Okesa!

At once he was sick with how close he had come to dealing death again this night!

Haku found himself short of breath as he flinched back from the cat. Haku wheeled in surprise only to watch in stunned silence as Chihiro struggled to stand. Her white face was etched in pain as she righted, gritting blood streaked teeth behind cracked lips that were turning pale. Again he found himself staring in dread at the terrible, terrible arrow. She gripped the shaft with her other hand as her injured arm hung limply at her side. The shoulder and sleeve of her jacket were wet as if soaked with water. It, however, was not water. Red dripped from the tips of her fingers! Of all the horrors in the worlds the sight of her blood reduced him to nothing. It eroded him as his wind had eroded the stone and the fight left him in a rush. Wind broke on his back, spilling by even as it dwindled. Cold blew through every inch of his soul shivered in consternation. Shrinking from them both Haku held up his hands in wretched shame to prove to both himself and Okesa that he knew the grave error he had made.

Satisfied that he had come to his senses, the cat tossed her head. She turned to the fujo only to crumple to the ground. Stunned, Haku stared as the cursed human smashed the side of Okesa's face with her bow. He had not even seen the bow! Somehow the fujo summoned from thin air! But even as Okesa rolled aside into a crouch furling her fans hissing furiously, even as Haku turned to punch the unyielding female in the face with a fist of wind, even as the fujo knocked an arrow and turned the point on him, the cursed bolt and bow erupted into eerie white flames as Chihiro threw a handful of fire right into the fujo's face. The female loosed a screech as the weapons became ash and embers in her hands. Again the fujo knocked back against the granite boulder as the incandescent fire spread up her arms until it engulfed her entirely. But even as she writhed in the heart of the fire that scorched and gnawed on the stone until it was black, the blaze turned yellow red as the fujo made it her own, shouting furiously over its hollow uncanny roar.

"Do you really think you can best me with fire, little girl!?

She lobbed handful after handful of smoking embers.

The scintillating meteors exploded amongst them in showers of sparks.

In response fire detonated round Chihiro as she absorbed the charring blows.

That left he and Okesa to scramble madly for cover.

The blast threw him into the sand as it smashed against the stone ceiling. Heat seared his face and hands with brilliant ferocity as embers rained from above only to bite at his exposed skin. Slapping at them with hasty jerks Haku scrambled away. Here Okesa caught him, fitting beneath his shoulder and proving her uncanny strength as she hauled him aside. They ducked and wove between growling avalanches of shattered, burning stone as far flung fire caved the passage above. The aluminum staircase folded like paper beneath a roaring torrent of rocks and pebbles. Pressed into the lee of a leaning boulder they choked on smoke and dust fearing the fall of more unruly stones as the ballistic inferno at their backs raged in snarling explosive fury.

All the while the fujo thundered at Chihiro.

"You can't_ burn _me, little girl!_ I'm made of fire!"_

As he searched the blaze Haku was offered a glimpse of the female. Relentlessly she railed again Chihiro in a devouring conflagration that threatened to fold the entire cavern. Even as sweat poured down his skin Haku's insides shrank in frozen terror from the sight as he realized how much he had underestimated the fujo. Yes she was both old and human but as he watched her now he realized how she had deceived him. Worse still was how she had deceived herself. Hate had transformed the female in ways beyond her comprehension.

She had become a _demon_!

A _human_ demon, but a demon none-the-less!

But even as the ground trembled with the profound moaning of the weakened stones suddenly the fujo's feral flames tamed. They began to shrink even as their heat intensified. At once they reached as if drawn to the familiar shape forming out of the licking silver tongues. Haku's insides eddied in a gale of cold awe as he found Chihiro made entirely of fire. She was dressed in incandescent white flame. Her silver hair blew around her face in a wild cloud like the smoke that poured out of her body. Back pressed against the wall of granite, the fujo recoiled as slowly her clothes began to char and burn.

"We don't need to do this," Chihiro instructed in a voice that echoed with crackling fire, "Tell us the answer to the question you have seen. That's all we want."

The fujo's face hardened belligerently as she spit at Chihiro.

Flames hissed, blowing a tiny plume of steam back in her face.

"There is no we, little girl," The fujo snarled, "Only us and them! I'll die before I tell you anything!"

Chihiro held up her hand. Balanced on her palm was the tiny box full of mysteries that so disturbed him. From this she produced a single disc of silver that flashed in the crackling light of her blaze like the moon itself. But it did not melt even in the heart of her flames. If anything he could feel the chill emanating from the metal he had once held in his hands. At the sight of Sengen's mirror Haku abruptly threw his eyes aside even yanking Okesa's face into his chest. Holding the cat close to keep her safe from curiosity Haku bent his head over her and tried not to feel vindication as the fujo screamed in anguish.

_"Zeniba!"_ The female screeched furiously as if every word cost her, _"You will find Zeniba in Higashiyama!"_

Haku almost looked back at them out of shock. The witch's name hit him so soundly his whole body jolted. So Yubaba's twin had survived after all. But the fujo was not finished. With merciless rancor she threw her next words like daggers. Each one cut and twisted in Haku just as it did Chihiro.

"You seek answers! I _curse_ you with answers! You will _never_ bare his children! You will be forced to steal someone else's daughter just as you were stolen from your mother! Whomever you choose will be doomed to live trapped between! She will suffer as you suffer! May you never know peace, you wretched thief!"

Haku flinched as fire howled and stone smashed.

Abruptly the fujo silenced.

Stunned by the female's words and the sudden absence of heat he released Okesa and turned back toward the cavern as darkness fell. Gloom flooded them in a wave of cold that rushed across his skin like water. But embers continued to glow, staring at him in droves of angry winking red eyes as their tiny irritable voices snapped and crackled petulantly. Okesa clung to his jacket as he took a step into the open leaving their hiding spot behind. Extricated himself from the cat's hands silently he begged her to stay back. As Haku picked he way through the dark limping ever so slightly Haku came up short as glass crunched beneath his feet. He frowned down at the broken remnant of his stop watch only for a moment before passing it by.

Haku did not need his glasses to find Chihiro.

She was standing in the middle of the room glowing as if still smoldering.

Beyond her crumpled in a pile of stone splinters was the fujo.

There was a fire scorched crater in the wall above her.

Haku was stunned to find the female still alive.

"I melted your glasses…" Chihiro rasped in a dry, dry voice.

She was still holding Sengen's mirror in her hands! How Haku abhorred the sight of the thing! Trying to ignore it he fought to find words to reassure her.

"It is alright, dear one."

Embers still burned in her eyes as she leveled a haunted stare at the fujo.

"No," she hushed in a hollow voice, "It's not."

He had no time to consider her words as she dropped the mirror and the tiny box as she tipped to the side. In a panic he surged forward on a startled wind to catch her only to suck in a hissing breath. She was _burning_ to the touch! So much so her very clothes began to smoke, soaked with heat that charred his hands! Haku endured the agony until it slipped from in a stifled sob. But he forced himself to hold her even as pain became unbearable, laying her down on the sand even as Okesa scrambled past him reaching for her. He seized the cat, yanking her back even as he recoiled himself.

"Do not touch her!"

Okesa flinched as steam lifted from Chihiro's shoulder in a muted hiss. Folding to his knees beside her he tore at the fabric of her jacket. It gave like brittle charcoal. Beneath it an evil dirty burn puckered the skin where the arrow had been. Fresh blood ran from it only to sizzle and char turning to black charcoal. Again he recoiled in horror from the sight. Nauseated with understanding Haku realized the shaft and fletching had burned away but the head remained buried in her flesh! This was a wound he could not pack with salt or douse with camphor water. In spite of everything Chihiro remained human. Suddenly buried in an avalanche of stark frozen terror Haku realized there was nothing he could do to help her!

"Suzume!" Haku shouted without hesitation, _"Suzume come at once!"_

Instantly fox fires sputtered to life in the granite bowl above. Bristling from head to toe in surprise, Okesa dove behind him hissing in alarm as the eerie whizzing blue light burned back the shadows as they darted like fireflies. Out of their winding shadows the fox appeared in a blooming burst of crackling fire. White robes fluttering, the fox's ragged hair flew around his face in the dwindling flames. The God's face wiped in consternation as his incandescent eyes swept the cavern.

Suzume spun in a circle only to freeze as he saw Chihiro.

The foxfires overhead surged and crackled even as they froze in place.

Haku tipped forward ready to throw himself at the fox's feet to beg his aid. Before he could speak the God backhanded him with such force Haku stumbled sideways blinded by a stunning burst of pain. It spread across the side of his face in a burning wave as he tasted blood in his mouth. Again instinct had him as he reached for Hanoane and found her missing. Instead his fingers closed around his fan as he fell to one knee only to spin. The bell rang as he spread and flourished the fragile red and gold paper. The song of Haku's movements diverted Suzume. Back on his feet Haku melted like a ghost around the fox's viciously swinging fists as the angry constellation of blue Godfire darted down at him in a shower of sapphire comets.

Then Okesa shoved her way between them.

A dour black fan unfurled in her hand.

The iron bell tolled commandingly.

Haku trembled as the sound vibrated in the marrow of his bones.

Even Suzume was forced to submit to its voice.

At once the fox smashed to the ground, crouching in the sand shaking with rage.

His godlights froze mid-air once more.

Here the fox barked in enraged frustration.

_"Dragon! _GladlyI would kill you now if it would make a difference!"

But even as Suzume caught fire, producing thriving blue flame as he ground his clenched fists in the sand, the God ceased to fight. Loosing a gusty sigh the fox sagged on hands and knees as his fire extinguished, bowing his head even as he hissed the last through his gritted teeth.

"But it will not…"

Not sure what to make of this, Okesa continued to hold Suzume with the iron bell. Struggling to catch his breath Haku massaged his jaw. It still ached from the first blow the fox had dealt him. Now the slow prickling ache of a bruise was spreading across his cheek from where the God had struck him a second time. All the same Haku was forced to reckon with the change in the God. Openly Suzume admitted the futility of his anger and the violence it inspired. Furthermore, that the fox had chosen to answer Haku's call at all was astonishing. But there was no time to ponder this. He was furious with the fox for wasting time on anger when Chihiro was obviously wounded.

"Put our quarrel aside and see to Chihiro, Suzume-san!"

At once the fox growled explosively, visibly fighting the bell.

"Release me, cat!"

Appealing to Okesa Haku nodded in hasty encouragement. It was then that he realized she was soaked from head to toe in saltwater. Looking more than bedraggled Okesa gritted her teeth, looking between them in obvious skepticism. Finally she pulled a sour moue and folded the black fan. Retreating on nimble feet, she hid behind Haku knees as the fox shoved himself upright, sitting back on his heels to shake himself vigorously. Haku and Okesa shrank from his swift movements. But the fox only showed them his back as he whirled to kneel beside Chihiro. Recoiling from Sengen's mirror, the fox hastily groped in the gehōbako, producing a bit of indigo fabric that he used to swaddle the glass before shoving it back into the box. This he slammed shut and shoved away.

At once his foxfires darted to gather in an enormous Godlight that hovered above his head as Suzume ripped and peeled back her charred sleeve. The male's blackened hands froze as he studied the wound. Visibly unsettled, here Suzume tempered showing rare gentleness as he carefully collected Chihiro into his lap. With her back braced on his knees and her head cradled in the crook of his elbow, Suzume beckoned his Godlight with his free hand only to plunge his fingers into the heart of the twining crackling flames. Plucking free a palm full of blue fire, the fox brought the feral lock of fire to his lips, stoking it with breath after blown breath until it shrank into a placid white ember.

Anxiously Haku crept closer, forced to look on from afar as the fox hesitated. The God's pale face tightened as he drew his lips into a dour line. Haku's insides scrambled with apprehension as the fox looked unsure. Before Haku could inquire the reason Suzume set the ember on Chihiro's wound! It sparked and hissed, belching black smoke! Unmoved by the horrible sight Suzume forced it into Chihiro's flesh! He held it there even as her eyes flew wide. Haku did not see the fox flinch as she screeched and fought in his unyielding grip. The sound of her scream blinded Haku, propelling him forward. Okesa caught Haku round the waist as Chihiro sagged back into unconsciousness. All the same he fought the cat's hold, dragging her forward as his wind unsettled the fox's fire. It guttered beneath the fox's hand making him look up in fury.

_"Stop!"_ Haku thundered, _"You are hurting her!"_

The fox barked back glaring with burning gold eyes.

"The arrowhead melted into a misshapen mass inside! It will tear her apart should I try to remove it so I must melt it again! Cease your harassment and allow me to work!"

Cringing from the words Haku ground his teeth against furious replies. He was forced to watch from the corners of his eyes as the fox blew on the ember. The sickening sweet smell of burning flesh turned his stomach making him gag. Haku flinched again as Okesa's arms tightened until they caused pain. She buried her face in the small of his back, shaking as she clung to him. He covered her hands with his only to cringe in pain as the blistered burns on his palms throbbed. Ignoring the sensation, he could not bring himself to look away as Suzume's face cleared with intense concentration.

Suddenly the fox snatched back his hand and gathered Chihiro close.

Haku's skin crawled in revulsion as Suzume closed his mouth over the wound.

He sucked and pulled on her pale shoulder only to turn aside and spit.

Molten metal and foxfire spattered the sand in a hissing boil of black smoke.

Suzume's mouth was bloody as he straightened to run his hand over the mark. Blowing on it as if soothing the angry wound, the gaping mouth of the puncture closed under the fox's continued ministrations. Haku stared in awe as relief ran through his veins like cold water. Heaving a gusty sigh, Suzume sat back on his heels and primly wiped his mouth on his sleeve. All the tension ebbed from him as the fox smoothed the hair from her soot stained face.

"Chihiro? Can you hear me, child?"

Affection was plain in the God's golden eyes as he quietly called her awake.

"Mmmm?"

Haku's knees ceased to work as she made a sleepy sound. His chest became painfully small for the swelling emotions that closed his throat and welled up into his eyes. Relief surged through his veins like cold, cold water. Absently Chihiro lifted a hand to rub her eyes. As he might admonish a child Suzume brushed her hand aside with a mild disapproving moue only to temper as her eyes fluttered open. As she stared at him her brow tightened with confusion. He was frowning again, swatting her hand as she scratched her shoulder.

"Do not trouble it, child."

Abruptly her face wiped with shock. She sat up with a strangled squeak only to brush at her shoulder again and again as if it was covered in spiders. Madly she stared from the corners of her eyes trying to see the pink star-shaped scar planted below the curve of her shoulder. All the while Suzume caught and tossed aside her hands in utter exasperation.

"Child! I said not to trouble it!"

Finally he was forced to catch both and hold them firmly.

As he did Chihiro was stared up at him blankly.

"Suzume?"

Here the cat spit an angry growl and shoved her fan back in her sleeve.

"Nice ah yeh's _t'show up_, neh!"

It took Haku a moment to realize Okesa was speaking to Suzume. He startled as she shoved one of his arms high only to invade his pockets as if they belonged to her. Yanking free the sloshing gourd she uncorked it with sharp yellow teeth. Dropping onto her knees she seized one of his hands and doused it with hot camphor smelling water. Haku sucked a breath between his teeth as the water stung and tingled, fidgeting as she roughly massaged away the cracked blisters before moving on to his other hand. All during her work Okesa admonished the fox.

"An' where wuz yeh, neh!?"

Suzume growled at the cat as he roughly plucked Chihiro from the ground. She and Haku stared across the distance at loss as the Gods quarreled.

"My ties are cut, cat! I no longer know when I am needed unless called!"

Continuing to show the fox her back, Okesa hauled Haku upright just as briskly leaving him light headed in her grip. Steadying him, the cat continued to dress down the fox as her velvet black ears flattened and her bristled tail lashed. Absently Okesa dusted him off before shoving the gourd and his sword back in the shadows of his coat.

"Yeh came, sure 'nough! But t'moment yeh did yeh went after Haku ready t'tear 'im up even though Chihiro wuz jus' layin' there _bleedin'_! But yeh didn' even see 'er yeh wuz too busy bein' angry! Yer angry s'makin' yeh blind an' stupid, neh fox!"

Suzume flinched as if Okesa had slapped him. Here the cat sighed and softened as finally she turned to frown at the fox.

"All t'world got it out fer us, neh Suzume? We _need_ t'stick together!"

He cut her off with an angry slash of his hand.

"I am here, am I not?!"

She pulled a sour moue and tossed her hip to the side.

"Yeh's here alright but y'still bein' ah _pissy_ _bitch!_"

Haku's lips quirked as the fox went red in the face. Suzume sputtered indignantly as his foxfires tinged pink. Here the male's head jerked to the side as the fujo moaned. The God left Chihiro in a lurch as he strode forward to investigate. In a burst of wind Haku surged to the side at once barring the fox's path. But Suzume had already seen the fujo. His face darkened as his fires darted over to light the unconscious female. Already rage was boiling in the God's gold eyes.

"Is that the human who put the arrow in Chihiro!?"

Anticipating violence, Haku sank onto his heels in a ready stance as he found his fan with his hand. Then he appealed for reason knowing it was a futile gesture.

"It is not worth it, Suzume-san."

As the fox turned on him in a fierce whirl, Haku's insides seized with the instinct to attack. But he held himself back because the fox did not strike at him as he had before. All the same, Suzume thundered in his face as his Godlights shattered into a boiling constellation ring of snarling blue fire.

"_Dragon! I do not understand you!_ How is it you protect the villain responsible for such a _heinous_ act!?"

Haku absorbed the fox's fury with cool calm. Grimly Haku glanced toward the unconscious fujo. Fury to match the fox's rage coiled in the pit of his stomach at the sight of the female. The fujo had tried to kill Chihiro and Okesa both. For a moment he considered surrendering the human. Suzume, however, was not at peace in this moment. In his unbalanced state the fox would not hesitate to kill the fujo. Haku himself had attempted just that before Okesa rescued him from hate. Haku, however, had seen the truth in Suzume. For all his bluster and fury, at his heart the fox was a God foresworn to safeguard life. And so Haku offered a dire truth in hopes of persuading the fox not to forsake himself.

"None of us will escape this journey unscathed, Suzume-san. Hate has made this female a demon. It has driven her to do terrible things. Just as hate will no doubt drive you to do things that you regret should you give it reign in this moment."

Again Suzume flinched as if struck by something Haku said.

It was obvious that he was listening now.

Haku held out his hands, staring at them still seeing Jouma's blood.

"There is blood on my hands, Suzume-san. In anger I took a life needlessly. I will carry the weight of that stolen life for the rest of my days. You carry too much sadness already, Suzume-san. I hope to spare you the burden of sorrow I carry now."

Haku looked up sharply as Suzume growled low and deep in his chest. The God recoiled a step, staring at him askance from the corners of his eyes. His face was tight with a mixture of astonishment and wrath.

"You see too clearly, dragon! Look away!"

Haku threw his eyes aside as commanded, but as he did a spark of hope kindled in his heart. Perhaps there could be a truce between them after all. Regardless, it was more than he had hoped for. Violence aside, Suzume seemed no longer intent on killing the fujo. Furthermore, Suzume did not seem intent on killing him either. Haku did not know what had changed the Gods mind. He did not need to know. Haku was eternally grateful all the same. Here he shrank on a started breeze as Suzume spat at the fujo.

"Forsaken human," Suzume intoned ominously, "May fire forever renounce you."

As his foxfires extinguished into sputtering smoke Haku's insides crawled in horror as all the light fled the room at Suzume's curse. With that the fox turned and snatched up the gehōbako. This he shoved into Chihiro hand before taking her wrist and hauling her for one of the still open stone passages. Already Chihiro was resisting but he dragged her along all the same.

"Wait! Suzume, wait!"

What Chihiro threw after him next brought the God to a standstill.

"There's something here that has to do with Lin!"

The fox froze only to whirl staring at her in a stunned expression. All at once she was pulling the male through the darkness to another stone passage as if she knew the way. Without a word Suzume followed. Haku scrambled after them as Okesa took his arm and towed him in her wake. He could not run for the pain in his head. For fear of hitting it again he bent as low as possible as he followed the cat through the narrow echoing tunnel.

Cold fresh air slapped him in the face as he emerged only to find himself at the base of the misty chasm. Water hissed and trickled distant, echoing through the oddly dry ravine. Peering overhead he caught a glimpse of the spindly ribs of the rickety bridge as the moon winked through the low snow laden clouds. But as his breath lifted from his lips in a white cloud to match the sky he bent as a wave of nausea robbed his knees of strength. Gritting his teeth Haku caught the stone wall and was forced to reckon with the fact that his exertions were catching up with him.

Following the cat like a crippled old man Haku found the way well graded, drained, and oddly devoid of brush. At once he knew exactly where he was as he had overseen the building of this place. Quickening his pace in spite of his illness Haku came upon Chihiro and Suzume as the ravine dead ended into a massive wall of stone. She was steaming in the frozen winter air, standing at the base of a massive boulder five times her size. This rock was covered in the moss of ages. However, instead of the rice ropes that marked sacred rocks huge iron chains garlanded the hulking stone.

"That's the stone I saw! The one with the chains!"

Chihiro hushed beneath her breath.

She stared as if seeing through it into another world.

"That is no stone," Haku pronounced solemnly, "That is a God."


	20. Chapter 20

**HAKU**

Haku found himself perfectly still as he stared up at the massive rock.

Eerie premonition buzzed in his blood as he stood in its shadow.

Because he knew this boulder by name.

"Seki no Taro-san…!"

As if awakened by the name the ground gave a jarring lurch. Chihiro shrank into Suzume with a gasp as Okesa hissed and clung to his arm. Haku, however, stood unafraid as the rock unfolded revealing that it was actually a massive oni. With every slow movement the ogre's body emitted a low growling grinding that echoed unnervingly in the very pit of Haku's chest. It inspired in him an instinctual urge to run. The ground continued to shake as the monstrous chains rang and jingled, pulling taught as the oni yanked on the shackles immobilizing its wrists. Two more chains anchored the oni's neck to the sides of the hill, preventing him from standing. Every link vibrated with a caustic magic similar to the collar he had been forced to wear. All the same, Haku cautioned the others backwards until they were well outside the ogre's range. Blinking granite eyelids that grated like stone the behemoth looked down at them with the flinty obsidian shards of its eyes.

"YOU KNOW MY NAME, LITTLE HUMAN?"

Seki no Taro's voice fell like a cascading avalanche of stone.

He bowed reverently before shouting his answer.

"I am Nigihayami Kouhaku. Do you remember me, Seki no Taro-san?"

The oni's drawn face cleared in loud scraps of stone.

Again the sound of his voice grated on the canyon walls like dragging rocks.

"LITTLE DRAGON… I REMEMBER YOU…"

Haku winced, becoming keenly away of the fact that Okesa was gripping his arm so tightly there would no doubt be a bruise. She clambered to hide in his shadow as the oni lowered his head to study him closely. As he did the ogre's face loosed a cloud of dust as it drew into tight lines of dismay.

"I FIND YOU LESS, LITTLE DRAGON. DID THE FUJO UNMAKE YOU?

Haku shook his head and shouted his reply once more.

"No, Seki no Taro-san. I have chosen to become this of my own will."

Settling back against the stone wall the oni caused a tiny earthquake. Haku rode the rolling ground as the trees on the slopes shook. Drifts of snow and bits of stone poured down the dark edges of the ravine. The oni sighed gustily as if terribly sad.

"IF THAT IS SO THEN GODS ARE DOOMED."

As silence suddenly returned to the frozen ravine Okesa hissed in his ear.

"Who's tha', neh!?"

Haku was careful not to turn, keeping her in his shadow as he explained.

"Seki no Taro is the master of this valley. Yubaba hired him to sway the other oni who dwell in these mountains. Under his command they built the tunnel for her trains. After they finished Yubaba hired them to unload the coal beneath the bath house. Seki no Taro-san and I worked together to make sure the oni did not eat the frogs or yuna."

All at once the oni voice echoed like angry thunder in their ears.

"I AM MASTER NO MORE, LITTLE DRAGON. YUBABA WAS EATEN BY HER GREED. MY CHILDREN DEFY ME AND MAKE MISCHEIF. A FUJO CAME AND TRAPPED ME HERE. I AM COMPELLED TO GUARD THIS PASSAGE. DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER OR I WILL BE FORCED TO KILL YOU."

He smashed his fist against the stone floor in a movement swift so it was stunningly incongruous with his size. The jarring impact threw all of them from their feet as it set the chasm quaking and shuddering. Trusting Suzume to look after Chihiro Haku was forced to accept Okesa's hand as he struggled upright in exhaustion. Slowly, however, the oni turned wistful.

"I BUILT THIS TUNNEL, LITTLE DRAGON; STRANGE THAT I SHOULD BECOME THE GATE OF ITS CROSSING. SOME DAY SOON I WILL BECOME ONLY STONE AND THIS WAY WILL BE CLOSED FOREVER TO BOTH GODS AND HUMANS."

Haku's insides seized with sorrow as he stared up at the dying oni. What a terrible thing for the worlds to loose such a God. All at once Haku was studying the chains with serious intent. Again he addressed the ogre, trying to find some way to shout with reverence.

"If I was to attempt to free you, Seki no Taro-san, would you try to kill me?"

The oni laughed. His slow booming chuckle rolled like thunder.

"OF COURSE, LITTLE DRAGON."

Haku shied as Okesa yanked him to the ground and sit on him like a cushion.

"Are_ y'nuts_, kitten!?"

Staring up at her in utter consternation all the blood flooded his face.

"Okesa!" Haku choked, "Get up at once, Okesa!"

She did not release him. She hissed at him furiously, flattening her ears and lashing her tail. Then she crossed her arms, sat back on her heels, and tossed her head making it clear she would be going nowhere. At once Haku wilted in exasperation before pointing at the train tracks lifting from the stone beneath the oni.

"We need this way open, Okesa! That is the crossing between this world and the next that the train must make to enter Clock Tower Town! It will _smash_ to pieces against Seki no Taro if we do not permit him to move!"

Still straddling his stomach the cat hauled him upright so she could hug his face into the soft folds of her sweater. Vigorously rubbing her cheeks against the crown of his head, making aching head swim, the cat growled even as she purred.

"Aye ain't gonna let yeh get _smashed_ t'dust!"

As his cheeks turned incandescent in embarrassment Haku struggled against the cat's enthusiasm wordlessly appealing to Chihiro for help as she crept into his view. She, however, looked away as her lips twitched. Suzume caught her arm, towing her back to his side all the while cagily examining the ogre. Flashing him an irritated frown, Chihiro pulled herself from his grip, going a little pale as she bowed awkwardly before shouting at the oni.

"Hi, um…! H-how do we get you free?!"

Holding out his wrists the oni made the metal links clang like struck steel.

"REMOVE MY CHAINS, LITTLE FUJO."

Haku stared at the oni's bonds in a loss. A single link was almost the size of his Okesa. How he could hope to cut through these he did not know! Here Chihiro's face wiped with that strange blank expression of understanding he had glimpsed several times before. At once she produced the mysterious box only to plunge her hand inside, addressing it like a person as she made her request.

"Can I have that knife again?"

She blinked, removing her hand only to jolt and shrink as she found Sengen's knife clutched in her fingers. Okesa recoiled from the blade with a violent hiss, releasing him to hide at the small of his back. As Chihiro crouched beside him Haku found himself staring at the new scar on her bare shoulder. He barely resisted the urge to touch it. Though she was no longer smoking he was still afraid she might burn him. Looking back to the knife he flinched as she unsheathed it.

The blade flashed in the dark like a strike of lightning.

Hissing again the cat fled to hide behind Suzume's knees. Both fox and cat looked on in trepidation as Chihiro nicked a small stone. Where the knife scratched it left behind an etched line of fizzling water that spread until the pebble was reduced to a puddle of green smelling salt water. Horrified by the blade's potential Haku scrambled to his feet and backed away. Grimacing at the belligerent sapphire eyes of the dragon on the hilt the wind of his disquiet stirred the frozen landscape. A single scratch could reduce absolutely anything to seawater: flesh, stone, even metal. All at once he found himself looking to the oni's chains even as his blood turned to ice.

"I cannot wield it," Suzume muttered sullenly, "Water will not obey fire."

"I will do it," Haku pronounced the words carefully to keep his voice from shaking, "I am wind and water. Though the ocean forsakes me I have the best chance."

Even as Chihiro opened her mouth to object, Okesa laughed incredulously.

She shoved the fox out of the way to stab a claw in his direction.

"Like _hell_ y'do! Y'cun barely stand! Yeh's _shakin'_ yeh's so tired!"

Haku glared at her frostily not liking to be reminded of his weakness, because he was indeed shaking with exhaustion. It made him doubt himself and the plan he was hastily sketching with each passing moment. Haku did not miss the fact that Suzume was looking on in uncharacteristic silence as if weighing every word spoken. And Haku knew as he glanced aside to Chihiro only to find her frowning that it was not just the cat he strove to convince. Calmly Haku explained with conviction what he fervently prayed would not turn false.

"Between us there are four fans and a flute, Okesa. You will hold Seki no Taro-san's arms. Chihiro will hold his legs. Suzume-san will lull his mind with song. You must hold him long enough for me to cut his bonds."

The cat tossed her hip and crossed her arms as she continued to glare.

"Then wot, neh!? We's oni diner, tha's wot!"

Turning cold as the snow he returned her sullen stare obdurately.

"Seki no Taro will not harm us once the spell of his bonds it cut. Once this way is open we will cross by the main gate and wait for Hayashimi's train in Clock Tower Town. They must pass and we will know it when they do."

The cat blinked rapidly before throwing her hands high to gesture wildly.

"Tha's yer _plan!?_ Y'wann go back _there!?_ Y'almost got _killed_ last time y'went back there! Wot we gonna do when we git there, neh kitten? How's we gonna eat an' where's we gonna stay!? How's we gonna stop t'train anyhow?"

They were valid questions and unfortunately ones for which he did not yet have answers. Haku, however, was not about to reveal the holes in his plan. It became clear to Haku that Okesa was stalling. Strange that it was the cat who sought to coddle him. Narrowing his eyes he saw through her anger and was not surprised to find Okesa was afraid. She was shaking with terror, eyes dilated until her red irises were all but swallowed in the night. His knees shook in sympathy even as he tempered, appealing to her in a small voice as he offered her his hands.

"This is our best chance to save Hayashimi. We know this place and those who dwell within. We must use this knowledge to our advantage regardless of the risk. As before, we go together dear Okesa. Trust me now as I trust you?"

The cat cast about trying to object only to hear the truth in his words. Wilting, she loosed a huffy sigh then turned on Chihiro, making her squeak again as she hauled her down to shoved two fans into the fold at the front of her coat. It was then that Haku realized the oni was watching him with enigmatic obsidian eyes. Again Seki no Taro's voice rolled a quake through the narrow chasm.

"I URGE YOU TO RECONISDER, LITTLE DRAGON."

Haku frowned grimly only to bow unconsciously.

"It is as I have said, Seki no Taro-san. We have no choice."

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Magic nibbled Sen's palm where she clutched the bells to keep them silent. She frowned deeper and deeper as she studied the red, gold, and silver fans. Trying to whirl one on her fingertip like the cat she almost dropped it. Cringing in chagrin Sen almost gave them back in a panic.

"S'okay, kiddo. Y'don' have t'do it pretty."

Before she could shove the fans into the cat's hands Cinna cut in encouragingly. Flourishing her fans and making the bells ring and chime, the tiny woman sank into a graceful whirl in spite of the frozen dark and the uneven terrain.

"We's jus' holdin' 'im down, neh? Gotta think tha' as y'dance. Like this, neh?"

At once Sen lurched forward like her body didn't belong to her anymore. Unnerved, she moved like a pro following in Cinna's shadow as the cat directed her every action. With each stomping step Sen sank low and firm over her bent knees until it felt like she weighted hundreds of pounds. The matched furling downward strokes of her fans produced a powerfully compelling force. Stunned and enthralled, she watched the cat's every move trying to follow. When it finally seemed like she was getting a handle on the steps Cinna's motivating directions dissolved abruptly, making her stumble on a patch of ice as the cat released her.

Out of nowhere Suzume caught her. The fox was extremely grabby tonight. His frozen fingers burned against her bare skin. Sen winced as a blinding bolt of pain shot from the ball of right her shoulder to the very tips of her fingers. At once they went numb with gnawing soreness that almost made her drop a fan. Stunned by the unhappy reminder of the injury she still carried Sen's insides went cold. It was still kinda hard for her to wrap her brain around the fact that she'd had an arrow in her shoulder not long ago.

But then again, magic wasn't something you ever got used to.

Even as she held in the gasp of pain Suzume saw all the same. So did Kohaku. He took an unconscious step towards her only to back off as Suzume growled at him. Even as Sen's heart thrilled into her throat on a geyser of panic at the sound, that was it. No fist fights. No wind and fire fits. Sen had no idea what miracle had inspired this change of heart. She'd woken up only to find they were tolerating each other's company.

Barely, but at least it was a start.

Suzume turned his back on Kohaku as he kept her arm and towed her close. Bleached of all color save his luminous gold eyes, Suzume looked like a ghost in the night. His dim blue foxfires that set the ice hanging from the frozen walls of the dark canyon glinting like diamonds. In their flickering light she watched his face creased with angry worry. He opened his mouth to command her to go hide in a corner somewhere and stay out of the fight. But he remained silent as she stared back at him defiantly. There was no way this was going to work without her help and she made that plain as she continued to glare at him.

Even though it was a really bad idea Sen was going to dance for Lin's sake.

Suzume's face grew darker and darker as he was forced to reckon with that.

Finally he released her to turn on the cat with a dour frown.

"Keep the arm movements simple, cat," Suzume instructed commandingly.

Cinna tossed her hip at the fox as she hissed.

"_Tch!_ One-two, one-two. _Simple_ 'nough, neh?"

Suzume rolled his eyes and tried to ignore the cat even as she sashayed back and forth at his feet only to bump him with her hip momentarily unbalancing him. The fox threw an irritated growl after her as he skulked away. Cinna laughed after him as she continued to traipse in a circle demonstrating what certainly didn't look simple to Sen. Unconsciously she found herself shadowing the cat again, counting along beneath her breath concentrating on keeping up with the movements so hard she gave herself a headache. Here Sen realized Kohaku was smiling at her from the corners of his eyes. Scorched and windblown, he looked more than haggard in the dark.

Her insides turned to ice as blue glinted in the middle of his chest. Sen scowled at Sengen's jewel here it hung around his neck. It was the same color as the sapphires glinting on the hilt of the knife on his belt. He couldn't draw it unless he was wearing the jewel. The exposed skin on her arm prickled with cold as the frozen air made the star-shaped scar on her shoulder tingle eerily. Folding her fans and sticking them in her pockets, she crept away from the cat so she could sidle up to Kohaku.

"Why do you have to be the one to cut the chains?"

Looking away Sen whispered beneath her breath ashamed for even saying it. She knew why it had to be him. The ogre was really, really old. That meant he was really strong. One dancer wasn't going to be enough to hold him. They were lucky that Suzume was with them. Four bells and a flute was pretty good odds. All the same, it didn't make things any easier.

"I trust you to hold the oni, dear one. Trust me to be swift."

Her head emptied as he hushed the soothing words against her cheek as his hand slide around her waist, pulling her close. Sen tipped her forehead against his shoulder, clenching her eyes shut even as he turned to plant a gentle kiss on her brow. His lips were cold, making her insides shudder, because she could feel him shaking. Even as she tightened her hands on his coat hastily they shuffled apart as the cat called them out.

"Quit canoodlin' kiddies! Let's do this, neh!"

Grinding her teeth, Sen watched as Suzume, Cinna, and Kohaku line up shoulder to shoulder. The fox flexed his fingers along the holes of his golden flute in a blur as the cat furled her red and black fans, practicing a few of her so-called simple moves. Kohaku plucked Sengen's knife from his belt, going Godish as his luminous green eyes turned razor sharp as he studied the chains as if judging the distance. Joining him Sen held her breath as the silence became so intense all she could hear was the thunder of her pulse in her ears. Taking a deep she held it as magic hummed and throbbed in her blood, called up by the Gods beside her. Breathing out she found that strange calm that was beginning to redefine her. It was almost heavy, making her sink lower onto her heels. Her fingers sang and tingled as she took the fans from her pockets. A jolt of electricity shot of her arms as she flicked them open with crisp snicks. Tilting her head back further and further Sen looked up at the oni. Seki no Taro was just sitting there watching them like a stone statue. It was super creepy, but she wasn't scared. She'd seen creepier.

"On my mark," Suzume commanded as he lifted his flute to his lips.

The slow lulling song lifted from his shakuhachi like smoke.

It settled through the canyon like the snow, making Sen sleepy.

She jolted as Cinna began stamping her feet only to ring her bells in counter point.

_Jing, jang._ Stomp-stomp. _Jing, jang._

With every flash of her fans the cat mimed firm downward motions. Sen followed, doing her best to keep up her end of the moving spell. All too quickly her shoulder began to burn. So did her thighs. She'd been sitting on her butt writing for the past six months. The only cardio she'd managed was playing Just Dance on the wii with Michio. But she kept up, watching Seki no Taro from the corners of her eyes only to find herself frowning uncertainly. The oni didn't so much as flinch in response to their song. Snow was beginning to filter from the dark sky as Suzume's melody echoed off the cliffs. White piled on his pate and shoulders.

"Is it working?" Sen breathed between gasped breaths.

"Dunno," Cinna watched the oni with cautious eyes, "Only one way t'find out."

As the cat tossed her head Kohaku darted forward.

He moved so fast Sen didn't even see him.

The only evidence of his passing was his rain scented wind.

It poured across her back as if to pursue him, leaving her shivering in its wake.

Sen gasped as a torrent of water suddenly poured from thin air only to smash against the bare stone. The chains at the Oni's right side melted away as the unexpected river gushed down the ravine. Seki no Taro's fist fell to the ground seconds later sending a bone-rattling jolt ricocheting off the stone. The ground beneath Sen's feet pitched and rolled making her heart thrill up into her throat as muddy water surged around her ankles. But she fought the towing current, keeping time and staring firmly at the oni's feet as she willed them to stay put.

In that same moment a twin cascade of water poured down the ogre shoulders sending a flashflood churning around her feet. Her knees were beginning to shake, burning with exertion and cold even as she forced herself to keep dancing, struggling to keep up as she waded and stomped in the icy water. Suzume's song trilled in her ears, swelling until it filled her head, making her miss the ringing in her ears. Sen faltered as a final surge of prodigal saltwater swelled above her knees. It pulled her over, dumping her face first into the gurgling arctic tributary. Sen gasped through chattering teeth as Cinna's bells rang, dancing her up out of the frozen water. But as she staggered forward she fought to pull backwards as Seki no Taro shuddered violently.

Finally free, the massive stone oni tipped forward.

Ripping free from the wall his absence left it compromised.

As he smashed against the ground on hands and knees the resulting earthquake rocked the entire canyon. Precariously balanced boulders piled on the cliffs above cracked and slipped. They came crashing down in a bouncing cascade of thundering stone. The roar of stone swallowed their song Sen watched in stunned silence as Suzume seized Cinna dragging her aside as a mammoth boulder fell from both lips of the canyon only to smashed into the water right where they'd been standing. She lost sight of them as the resulting wall of frigid mud overwhelmed her. It ducked her head again, lifting her from her feet only to flood her forward into the path of the falling stones. Coughing and struggling to stand, she forced herself up out of the mire as spinning rocks bounding off the ravine walls to splash down all around her.

_ "Chihiro!"_

Her head jerked up as Kohaku shouted her name. Sengen's jewel burned in the dark glowing like a beacon where it hung around his neck and the churning water parted for him as if cut by a knife. He blew past her riding a violent wind, hauling her upright by the back of her coat only to pluck one of the fans from her hands, whirling away never loosing momentum as he dragged her with him. Using hissing lashes of water directed by the singing ringing bell he slapped aside jagged slabs of stone that skidded off the ravine lip right over their heads.

At once escape became impossible as he became consumed by the act of warding away stone. Punching and kicking and leaping in arching twists that blew her mind Kohaku sailed weightlessly through the air as he hurled the cascading curtain of rock away with fierce jets of wind and water. Wind screamed in her ears, tearing at her hair and clothes as bells rang and throbbed in her bloody. Caught in the giddying whirling pull of the churning water at her feet Sen wheeled her remaining fan over her head, making the bells ring commandingly as she directed fist-sized rocks away from him.

The stone listened!

Her insides rang with awe as she caught the rock in the snare of bell song. It batted it aide like a badminton birdie. But her enthusiasm burned to ash as the weight of a much bigger stone punched through the grip of the bell. It had no interest in listening to her song and she was forced to obliterate it with a hastily cobbled handful of fire at the last minute. Red bright fire erupted in the dark in a hissing plume of steam as the stone shattered in a cloying cloud of dust that turned to mud, spraying them with cutting shards of rock and snapping embers. She threw up more fire to save herself from the flying razor-edged flints. Several cut her face all the same proving using fire situation was a very bad idea!

The recoil from the impact slid her across the icy stone. At once she found herself outside of the narrow haven of Kohaku's influence. Even as rocks continued to rain from above he smothered and redirected her feral blaze with twists of wind only to catch her gaze with his burning jade eyes. Throwing up his fan he ensnared her with his bell in the nick of time. Her feet skidded across the icy stone as he hauled her toward him so swiftly her insides seized and flip. Her teeth cracked together as a massive stone smashed in her shadow jolting her off the ground. But as she tipped and teetered he towed her back to center only to overcompensate and unbalanced himself. Instinct surged in Sen's blood as she anchored herself into the stone, pulling him as he had pulled her. Even as he tipped backwards his green eyes flew wide in stunned surprise as she caught him with her bell. Like a cracking whip he jerked back toward her as their bells rang in unison.

They caught each others arms as they whirled like some kind of fun park ride.

Their feet left the ground in the pull of the fantastic momentum.

Clinging to each other, spiraling ear-piercing wind swelled beneath them.

The tornado hurled off the last skittering stones as it surged overhead.

Then the fickle wind dropped them into the frozen shallows as it abated.

And as they floundered the far canyon wall crumbled in Seki no Taro's absence.

Tons of stone dumped into the shallows inspiring another monstrous wall of frozen sludge that leapt up to surge at them. Even as the wave reared, Kohaku catapulted out of the shallows punching his folded hands forward. He spread them in a unassailable motion that split the dirty wave. It surged by only to smash against the wall of stone behind them. The deadly rain of rock began again at their backs as Kohaku spun on his heel to divide again the rebounding wave. Left completely exposed a fist sized stone smashed into his arm with such force it hurled him down into the churning frozen spray.

His scream was swallowed by the bass roar that rolled down from above.

Even as she scrambled to stand in the boiling currents of the water Sen looked.

She watched in horror as the behemoth stones of the shrine cavern buckled.

They teetered then fell like a cascade of monstrous marbles.

Down they fell, smashing the stone torii to power. One demolished the bridge as it bounced off the edge of the cliff. The last rolled right up to the lip over their heads blotting the moon and the sky. Even as rocks roared and the ground trembled, even as a glancing shard of stone cut a jagged gash along her temple in a blinding explosions of pain, Sen threw herself upright. Her body moved of its own accord as she ripped the ribbon festooned handle of bells from the magic box in her pocket. Lashing it high over her head she planted her feet firmly and punched the behemoth rock.

A chorus of bells rang in her ears like a singing silver symphony.

As they did Sen pushed back with all her might and shouted a command.

_ "Stay!"_

The wall of crushing resistance she met collapsed her legs. It smashed her knees against the stone ground hidden in the muddy saltwater sending white hot lances of pain surging through every nerve in her body. Every muscle and tendon in shrieked in exertion as she ground her teeth fighting and railing against the weight of the stone. Her sight grayed and trembled as Sen heaved and pushed until things popped inside her head. Blood poured from her nose as the grinding boulder slowed then teetered to stop. All the same she forced herself slowly back to her feet loosing a dominating shout.

_ "I SAID STAY!"_

It rolled back from the lip of the canyon to perch precariously on the edge as if frightened of the sound. All at once the crushing weight of its presence evaporated from her hands and Sen staggered forward into the moonlight. Stunned and sobbing she stared up at the disk of light peeked through the breaking snow clouds overhead. It glimmered around the edge of the boulder, flooding the canyon with light. Sen stared up at it in amazement only to watch in sinking frozen horror as the lip of stone under the boulder gave beneath its weight. Even as the moon blotted out, even as her dismayed scream was swallowed by the snarling roar of stones, even as the ground jolted so violently she pitched into thin air and landed on her back to cringe in the frozen mud, Sen realized she hadn't been crushed. Peering out from under her up thrown arm she stared through the billowing curtain of thick dust she watched the piled stones arch over her only to remain suspended mid-air. Then she realized the writhing wall of stone wasn't the avalanche.

It was Seki no Taro.

The oni's stone joints ground and grated as he caught the massive boulder like it was nothing, holding it high over his head. He let the landslide bounce off his stomach shielding her from the torrent of pouring rock. Scrambled backwards through the mud she knocked into Kohaku. His hand clamped down on her jacket holding on even as she startled and shied. Sen seized him, shielding him as several massive rocks that crashed down between the oni's legs only to shatter and spray them with more jagged shards of stone. Hastily waving them aside with bells Sen cringed as the mire around them erupted with muddy spray where stones fragment cut mud like knives. Finally the last stones fell silent leaving her ears ringing and her body vibrating the memory of grinding stone.

Then Seki no Taro set the massive boulder down. Sen squeaked in astonishment as the oni moved with deceptive swiftness. The sky hissed as the rock forced the air aside only to make the ground shuddered beneath its weight, making mud ooze and give up water as it sank and settled into the sludge. Then Seki no Taro's granite fingers unfolded right in her face. Sen didn't even have time to scream as she was ripped from Kohaku's grip as the oni plucking her from the ground. Kohaku's shout of dismay was devoured by the wind that whizzing across her mud-caked skin. Her stomach produced an increasingly familiar dizzying flip when the ground disappeared from beneath her feet.

Although his fist completely encircled her waist the oni didn't squeeze or crush her as he brought her right up to his face. His breath blasted her in the face with a smell like the interior of the deepest, darkest, dankest cave. All the while he studied her intensely with the endless corridors of his fist-sized jet black eyes.

"STRANGE… WHEN YOU SPEAK STONE LISTENS."

The oni pronounced in words that made her whole body shake. Terrified, Sen threw her hands high over her head, making her bells ring and jingle harmlessly as she went rigid as a board. They continued to jingle uselessly as she shook from head to toe as the oni's lip peeled up to reveal his sharp granite teeth. All the same she met the ogres gaze and tried not to shriek and struggle. But even as he scrutinized her with his flint black eyes Sen's insides stilled as she somehow knew he wasn't going to hurt her. Slowly curiosity got the better of her, turning fear to awe. She'd seen oni before in Yubaba's bath house, but none compared to Seki no Taro. She cringed as suddenly the ogre laughed in a low booming chuckle rolled in the shattered canyon like thunder.

"LITTLE FUJO, YOU ARE BRAVER THAN YOU LOOK."

_"Please, Seki no Taro-san!?"_ Kohaku pleaded in alarm from somewhere below, _"Please do not hurt her!"_

The oni was looking down now and his granite features softened fondly.

"DO NO WORRY, LITTLE DRAGON. I WILL NOT HARM HER."

Again wind sang through her hair as the oni lowered his hand. Sen's knees buckled as Seki no Taro carefully set her down. As her feet sank into the sludge she sat in the mud staring up at him at a loss. Adrenaline raced through her veins like tracer rounds of ice, haking her head throb as blood pumped and surged inside her ears. Numbly she bounced and jostled as the ground shook with each of the oni's steps. Turning away the ogre shoved the monsters boulders aside, stacking and piling them like kids blocks. Then he parted the thick mud with a single spread of his massive stone palms, clearing a long path from rubble and debris. Out of this he summoned the train tracks from the stone hidden below, beckoning them with the grinding curls of his huge stone digits. Sen shivered violently as the power of Seki no Taro's magic made the very earth shudder and scramble to obey. When he had finished the path was clear.

"GOODBYE, LITTLE DRAGON. GOODBYE, LITTLE FUJO."

Again his voice echoed like distant rolling thunder.

"PERHAPS ALL IS NOT LOST AFTER ALL."

Bowing low, the ogre ducked into the tunnel yawning out of the wall of stone, disappearing away into the dark. Standing shakily as the oni's retreating steps waned into tiny tremors, Sen stared up at the gateway to another world. Out of the mouth breathed the unmistakable bite of magic that belonged only to the Spirit World. It hummed in every cell of her body making the bell in her heart ring a single clear peal of premonition. Again she shivered convulsively as the cold she'd forgotten until now began to seep into her bones making her teeth chatter.

Then the cat tackled her from the side.

Sen dumped sideways into the mud in a harmless chorus of bells.

Cinna was coated in mud.

The only part of her recognizable the flashing red of her irises.

_ "Neh, neh!"_ Cinna screeched in a panic, "There's _bones_ pokin' out!"

Then Kohaku's warbling shouts of pain shattered on the canyon walls, glancing off and around the neatly piled boulders. The sound touched her insides like a live wire, making her blood run cold and sluggish in horror. As if drawn by bells Sen lurched to her feet, stumbling on shaking legs toward the sound only to have it silence. Terrified by the sudden quiet she slogged and scrambled on hands and knees through the thick silt as her breath blew from her lips in a white cloud so thick it nearly blinded her. The cat had her around the waist now, half dragging her around the massive boulder Seki no Taro had caught and set aside.

As they rounded it Sen found Suzume crouched beside Kohaku's prone form.

Panic spiked in her blood like burning acid.

Cinna caught her arms down before she could use bells to rip him away.

Because it took her a moment to understand the fox wasn't hurting Kohaku.

Suzume was helping him.

Unconscious in the mud Kohaku was slung awkwardly across Suzume's bent knee so the fox could hold up his right arm. He had torn the sleeve clear off and was running Kohaku's arm between his grasping hands as if trying to pull it straight. It took Sen a second to see that it was bending in the wrong place, halfway down his forearm, instead of at the elbow. Sen dumped to a seat on the freezing silted ground at once sick with horror. She held her breath against the urge to puke because she could hear the hideous cracking of his bones!

The stone that'd struck him early had pretty much smashed his arm. Working with slow determination beneath the pale glow of a single foxfire Suzume coaxed and snapped Kohaku's bones back into place! Holding it up and inspecting it over and again until he seemed satisfied, Suzume let it drop only to unceremoniously shove Kohaku off of his knee into the mud. Then the fox slapped him hard. Kohaku jolted awake only to stare in stunned surprise up at Suzume. At once Sen was struggling in Cinna's grip but the cat wouldn't let her go.

"Simmer down, kiddo," the cat hissed beneath her breath as she anchored her to the ground, "Let'm sort it out, neh?"

Kohaku attempted to scramble backwards only to fold up in pain grasping his arm. Here Suzume caught him by the front of his jacket pinning him in the mud, holding with the burning intensity of eyes as he muttered in a low angry voice Sen could barely hear.

"Favor your arm, dragon. The bones are still newly mended."

Haku stared askance at the fox with a confused expression that spoke volumes.

"Now it is I who does not understand you, Suzume-san."

Glaring irritably Suzume sat back on his heels. He winced, touching a drying patch of blood on his cheek where a falling rock had cut him.

"It is as you say, dragon; none of us will escape this journey unscathed, which is all the more reason that I should go with you."

Diffidently Kohaku sat up cradling his arm only to bow stiffly. The fox snorted derisively, making the blue ball of fire crackle and hiss.

"Save your esteem for someone who cares, dragon. I do not mend your injuries out of benevolence. We will need your help soon enough, and so I put you back together for her sake as well as mine."

Kohaku glanced across the distance as Suzume gestured at her.

His haggard mud-smeared face wiped with longing as their eyes met across the mire.

With that Suzume's foxfire snuffed out leaving only the moon to light the canyon.

Sen blinked at dark flooded the narrow ravine, because in that moment Suzume was gone as well.


	21. Chapter 21

**HAKU**

Snow swirled around them, drifting down from the low clouds crowding the sky riding on frozen gusts. The whispering voices of the falling flakes hushed with eerie loudness in his ears for the rest of the world was silent and still, dark save for the sleepy lights of the houses perched on the hill. In the wan light spilling out the windows below the blanket of white enrobing the hill behind the Oginos' home grew increasingly unfamiliar beneath the piling drifts save for the hinoki. The elder evergreen remained unchanged. Haku, however, did not see the changeless tree. It was hard to concentrate on anything but the 20 feet of thin air beneath their feet.

Trying not to look down as vertigo continued to loop and flop about in the pit of stomach, Haku shivered violently as his quick breath plumed again and again between his tightly gritted teeth. Searing pain shot in digging stabs through the bones in his newly mended forearm. Forcing himself to endure the taxing sensation, Haku clung to the handle of the umbrella with one hand as his other clamped like a vice around Chihiro's waist. Her back was pressed to his stomach. The messy thicket of her hair invaded his face as it caught in the wind, forcing him to repeatedly blow it aside as it tickled his nose and caught in his lips. With both hands occupied, Haku could only brace his bare feet against the wall. Bound by propriety they had left their filthy shoes on the back step. His frozen toes were little help and that left Chihiro alone to anchor them to the second story window frame. Cursing beneath her breath, she struggled to keep them from floating off into the sky while simultaneously battling to pry free the screen on her bedroom window.

It was a two handed task.

Her progress was painfully slow.

Unfortunately they could not enter by the front door. Although Akio was snoring so loudly Haku could hear him even now, Yuko was dozing fitfully on the couch in the living room. Burned, beaten, and caked in frozen mud, they were in no state to be seen by anyone let alone Chihiro's mother. After what they had endured in the Oni Rocks Haku could barely walk. What little strength he had left was spent on the motorcycle ride home. He could not risk using magic to hide their appearances lest his ruse fail. He was shaking with exertion from the simple act of holding the umbrella aloft. And so they were forced to seek entrance in other ways.

"Neh!"

The wind of his surprise filled the fabric of the umbrella. As dizzying lift snatched them aloft Haku could do nothing but leave frozen footprints on the outside wall. Chihiro squeaked; scrambling to catch hold of the frame with both hands as the buffeting gale towed them away from the window. As she hauled them back to the side of the building Haku glanced down sharply, searching for the voice that had startled him.

Okesa was a tiny blot of black as she crouched in the pristine snow. There had only been enough room for two on the motorcycle now stashed away in his tatter cloak. But the cat was growing increasingly familiar with these hills. It took her on foot almost the same amount of time to travel what they negotiated by machine. As he stared down at her his insides produced an all too familiar squeeze that he would never have experienced had he still been a God. At the height the garden looked deceptively small. His mortal instincts knew only too well how quickly the ground would rush up to meet them should he let go of the umbrella. At once his palms went slick with sweat as his insides tightened with an apprehension Haku found strangely absurd.

"Wot y'doin', neh!?" Okesa hissed in exasperation, "Aye cun jus' pick t'lock!"

Clinging to the underside of the window with one hand Chihiro vigorously waved the cat away from the door with the other.

"Mom'll wake up the moment you open any of the doors!" Chihiro hissed back.

Pacing back and forth, cat produced a well packed rut between the back door and the middle of the garden as she glowered up at them. Sinking over her heels she hugged her middle, lashing her bristling tail while again hissing beneath her breath.

"Aye's no birdie, kiddo! Aye ain't gonna fly up through tha' window! How's aye s'possed t'git in 'cept t'door, neh!?"

Chihiro wheeled around to grab the window with both hands as they rose again.

"I'll think of something, okay!? Just let met get us inside!"

All at once the shake in his arm spread to his entire body. The world became a ghost of gray in his vision they began to sink as exhaustion consumed him.

"Chihiro!" Haku choked as he struggled to endure, "I cannot keep us aloft…!"

Cursing again she dragged Sengen's knife from her pocket.

The sight of the bare blade sent a flash of cold terror through Haku's heart.

She nicked the screen and hastily stowed the blade.

Haku's skin crawled as the mesh dissolved into a fizzling ribbon of salt water.

Somewhere below Okesa yowled as it poured down into the yard. But Haku did not see her. As Chihiro ripped the window to her bedroom open he spent the last of his energy on a breath of wind that rocketed them forward. Momentum forced them through the narrow space making the umbrella close. The weight of their bodies returned with stunning swiftness as the magic abated. They fell like stones, bouncing on the mattress tucked against the wall only to come to rest in a rude of tangled limbs atop her bed.

Unfortunately the bed was too small for them both.

Haku spilled over the edge and landed hard on the floor as the whipping gale circled the tiny space. He knocked over the side table spilling the contents across the floor and under the bed. The errant fingers of wind tore at Satako's drawings as they raked the wall only to upsetting several small objects. But as those several something's fell from their shelves to strike him squarely in the chest Haku barely felt it. He flinched as the caustic buzzing bulb flicked on overhead. Fearing they had woken Yuko Haku struggled to find the magic to hide only to come up empty handed.

"Are you okay?!"

It took him a moment to see Chihiro. She was bent over him clutching handfuls of his singed jacket. The material crumbled beneath her fingers. The silver curtain of her hair spilled over her shoulders was in his face again. He, however, was too tired to sneeze. All that mattered was they were inside and safe for the moment. He sagged in her grip, spilling backwards against the carpet in singing relief.

"Apologies, dear one," Haku murmured, "I… I do not think I can stand."

Suddenly she was looking away listening intensely to the silence and chewing her lip. She held her breath as if Yuko could hear even that through the very walls and floor. But as the second ticked away into minutes nothing but the sound of the snow blowing through the still open window filled Haku's ears. Then a snowball sailed through the window. It exploded against the far wall spraying them with ice. Haku's lips quirked in weary amusement as Chihiro dove over him only to have outrage spread across her face. Tugging his tatter cloak free of his pocket he pressed it into her fingers.

"There is a rope," he explained without explaining.

Even speaking proved an effort. Frowning at the fold of fabric in utter confusion Chihiro stood as the wad of silky smoky fabric unfolded larger and larger. She held it up making ready to shake it out and far too late he realized what she was about to do.

"N-no!" Haku gasped as he struggled to stop her.

He was far too slow.

As Chihiro flicked the fabric the whole collection of his personal affects dropped from thin air, falling like rain against the floor of her bedroom. That included the motorcycle he had spirited away into the shadowy folds. A punch of adrenaline motivated his aching body just enough to flee the mud caked tires of the Honda. The floor jolted and its shocks squeaked in protest as it dropped out of nowhere. Chihiro knocked back against the adjacent wall as she stared at in astonishment.

As their eyes met across the leather seat Chihiro cringed. Again they listened in trepidation to the silence filling the house. By some small mercy again they heard nothing. Glancing back at each other they stared wordlessly as they waited. Haku was surprised by the amused smirk that tugged his lips. He was not sure why he was smiling because this was not humorous in the slightest. Still, he was oddly giddy. Chihiro, however, was not amused. She frowned dourly as she searched the floor and snatched up a coiled length of rice rope. This she struggled to unwind at to the windowsill only to squeal and duck as another snowball whizzed over her head only to spatter on the opposite wall. Peering over the sill she hushed out the open window angrily.

"Knock it off, Cinna!"

Still sprawled on the floor Haku watched her cagily feed the end of the rice rope through the window. Chihiro held on as the line went taut, anchoring it with the weight of her body until the cat vaulted lithely through the open window. Okesa landed without making a sound only to shrink arching her back and bristling as she encountered the motorcycle. The cat shied again, clambering away to crouch beside him with a hiss as Chihiro hauled in the rope and lurched upright to yank the window shut. Immediately the room became warmer and his breath faded from sight. Scooping up a handful of the melting slush Chihiro hurled it at the cat and missed badly. Haku flinched as the glancing bits of ice spattered him. Still glaring at the cat Chihiro wound up the length of rope only to stare down at the object scattered across the floor. The anger fled her face and was replaced with bright curiosity. Chihiro picked up the gourd only to blink as the water sloshed loudly.

"It's hot! What is _this_?"

Here Okesa explained as if all of this was common knowledge

"S'magic, kiddo. Water from t'camphor tree spring s'ah cure all fer Gods: cuts, burns, bruises. Speakin' o'..."

The cat snatched the gourd from Chihiro's hands only to retreat to Haku's side, pulling the cork with her teeth as she foisted the opening at his mouth.

"Jus' ah sip, neh kitten? It'll add ah mite o' steam back t'yer giddy-up."

Haku choked as the cat forced him to drink a mouthful. Grimacing he struggled to swallow the bitter sulfurous liquid as it ran down his chin. It burned all the way down his throat making him cough and gag. Okesa thumped his back consolingly. Wiping his mouth Haku fell still as the warmth spread from his stomach, coursing with his blood until he did not feel half so weighted with frozen exhaustion. Looking up at her, his gratitude cooled as he found the cat grinning wickedly.

"Tastes like mud, neh?"

Haku looked to the side sharply as Chihiro plucked something from the floor.

"What about this?"

She held out the flint iron and its jar of pitch. The cat sniffed at it before smacking him in the side of the head with a flick of her tail. Haku sat up to escape being hit again.

"Makes Godfire."

Chihiro blinked, reassessing the unassuming objects before offering a small pouch.

"And this?"

Again the cat snuffled loudly, lifting her chin as her ears perked with interest.

"Salt. S'good fer all kinds ah things."

Now Chihiro was looking at the cat askance.

"How do you know so much about all this stuff? I thought it was supposed to be human magic?"

The cat shrugged diffidently.

"Aye lived in lots o' _human_ places, kiddo, an' aye seen lots o' _human_ things."

"You and me need to go through all the stuff in my box sometime. I don't know what any of it does."

She held up the sheaf of ancient paper Haku had almost forgotten.

"What about this? What's this do?"

Never once had he come to call upon it for help. He knew not of what the paper was capable. The cat regarded it with a sagely expression before she crossed her arms solemnly.

"Aye gots no clue."

Chihiro wilted in exasperation before tossing the paper onto the foot of her bed beside the gourd and his other treasures. Bending again, this time Chihiro did not ask as she laid his sword, bow, quiver, and the heavy bundle of his armor on the coverlet. But then she paused, straightening slowly with something held ever so carefully in her hands. Her face wiped smooth with awe as she stared at the opalescent face of his mask. It flashed in the light like the glinting scale that hung around her neck. As she ran her thumbs against the surface Haku drew in a sharp breath. An eerie sensation climbed through the marrow of his bones as she touched it. Her face flushed bright red as she realized he was watching her. Standing perfectly still and carefully holding his mask Chihiro glanced at the door as if terribly anxious.

"Look, mom will seriously freak if she finds you in my room..."

Okesa pulled a moue and tossed her head at the motorcycle.

"An' she's nae gonna _freak_ 'bout tha'?"

Chihiro glared at the cat.

"Will you just help me get him cleaned up and into the guest room?"

Okesa displaced Chihiro from the foot of the bed in a move so swift it set her stumbling backwards to a rude seat in the desk chair. Furling the fabric, Okesa whirled his cloak over the motorcycle making it fade and then disappear. Stunned, Chihiro looked on in silence clutching his mask as the cat wadded the cloak in the crook of her arm and shoved his possession back into the mysterious folds. Okesa came up short as if finding something missing. Craning her neck she searched the floor then appealed to him where he lay on the carpet.

"Where's t'glasses an' yer finny clicky thingy?"

"Destroyed."

Haku breathed the word soberly. The loss was great indeed. The stop watch and glasses were immensely powerful. He would miss their benefit sorely. All the same, the bespelled objects were nothing compared to their lives. The cat made an unhappy moue as she searched the floor only to squat and peer under the bed's pink ruffle.

"An' t'camphor leaves an' sticks?"

Haku snorted as he recalled Aki's thievery. The fox woman had stolen the pouch from him the night he saved her life. It was poor thanks indeed.

"Stolen."

Okesa tossed her hip to the side as her black velvet ears swiveled incredulously.

"_Tch!_ Who'd wanna steal ah bunch o' twigs, neh!"

Chihiro was pointing.

"You forgot something."

As the cat plucked the magazine from the floor Haku found himself struggling upright reaching for it as every ounce of his blood flooded his face. As he tried to snatch it from her fingers the cat danced aside. The wicked grin was back in her ruby eyes as she held it out of his reach, taunting him.

"Wot's this, neh? Y'keepin' dirty mags?"

The cat hissed as Chihiro snatched it out of her fingers. It fell open to the well worn pages that carried the article about Onsen. Her photograph smiled off the wrinkled page, betraying the hundreds of times he had opened to the very place within its folds. Again Chihiro's expression went inscrutable as she tucked his mask into the corner of her arm so she could scan the pages. As she did Chihiro frowned as if confused and her bewilderment made him even more uncomfortable.

"Why'd you keep this?"

Haku sat on the edge of the bed. At once feeling extremely exposed Haku looked away. His voice sounded so very small in the silence.

"For the longest while it was all I had of you and our home."

From the corner of his eyes Haku watched as Chihiro took the cloak from Okesa, carefully adding his mask and magazine before neatly folding the whispering fabric. This she returned to his hands. Lifting his chin he caught the expression of wordless affection she poured down upon him. Relief flooded his chest, inspiring a painful prick in his throat. Haku leaned into her touch as he found her hands were as gentle as her voice.

"Do you think you can stand now?"

It would be useless to lie. He was far too heavy. She would undoubtedly try to catch him. They both would end up on the floor should he stand and fail.

"No."

At once Chihiro was appealing to the cat.

"Get his other arm, Cinna?"

Without hesitation Okesa fitted herself under his opposite shoulder and with their mingled strength they hoisted him.

"Apologies…"

Haku muttered as he dropped his head in embarrassment.

"S'okay, kitten," Okesa returned softly, "We's just glad yeh's lettin' us help."

Blinking rapidly to forestall the spreading burn blurring his eyes he let them carry him to the doorway of the cavernous bathroom he had used once before. Bracing himself in the frame he reached after Chihiro unconsciously as she left him to pull open the next doorway in the hall. Okesa batted at his hand throwing him a surly moue.

"She's gonna come back, neh!"

Ignoring the cat and Haku struggled with the panic her absence inspired. Too much had happened in a very short amount of time. There had been no time to cope with what had occurred. As such, he found it difficult not to jump and flinch at every tiny sound. Though it was absurd he fear stones and fire might pour down the hall at any moment. His heart was racing as he craned his neck to look after her. But all he caught was a glimpse of tasteful blue wallpaper and the scent of clean linen as it breathed out of the room on a rolling gust of heat as the furnace kicked on in the distant bowels of the house. Haku's knees when weak with respite as Chihiro emerged. As she did she held out his green silk kimono and an indigo belt that was undoubtedly Onsen's; these Haku accepted in grateful astonishment.

"Though you might like something familiar."

As she smiled briefly she nodded her head at the hall.

"I'm gonna go clean up in the little bathroom then get my mom off the couch."

As he nodded she crept down the hall with caution that seemed unnecessary. Then she disappeared around the corner. Again the wild urge to catch hold of her coat and drag her back to him set him fidgeting. As he lost sight of her a spike of dread struck him as if set by a hammer deep in the pit of his chest. All at once he found it difficult to breathe. Apprehension circled his heart with thickening clouds as dark and terrible fears welled and sprang from every corner of his mind. The terrors left him cold as they eclipsed the sun of his calm and he was shaking again; shaking so hard his teeth chattered! Then Okesa hoisted him, carrying him like a child into the bathroom.

With a flick of her foot she shut the door.

Sitting him on the tiles in the middle of the room she took him by the arms.

He jolted, dropping his tatter cloak as his arm seized with a flash of pain.

Her pupils dilated in the dark until they swallowed his attention.

They reflected the dim light like fathomless black opals.

_ "Breathe, kitten!"_ Okesa instructed him commandingly, "In 'n' out, neh!"

Realizing he was holding his breath Haku dragged in breath after breath appealing to her in wordless terror for explanation. She soothed him by purring loudly, plopping down beside him and rubbing her nose back and forth across his shoulder, explaining in her casual way as if all this was perfectly normal.

"Yeh's havin' ah panic attack, neh?"

He found no solace in her words. They meant nothing.

"What is a panic attack!?" Haku demanded hoarsely.

"S'ah human thing."

He spit the words most crossly.

"I do _not _understand!"

Okesa tossed her head as her purring intensified.

"_Tch! _Wots not t'understand 'bout gettin' yer ass handed t'yeh by a human? Wot's not t'understand 'bout scramblin' 'round in ah rain o' rocks while a _big old_ oni tries t'kill yeh? Yer body's fet up an' it don' know how t'cope."

The wild sensation in his heart suddenly stilled as pride kindled in his gut.

"That was no ordinary human, Okesa."

She uttered a short humorless laugh as she turned her cheek to reveal the bruise the fujo's bow had painted across the delicate curve of her jaw.

"Ain't aye know it!"

Shame stirred inside his chest as he noticed the mark for the first time. Lifting his hand to touch it, his face contracted in lines so deep they hurt. She swatted his hands away frowning as she tugged up the floppy collar of her sweater.

"Dontcha git all _mothery_, kitten. Aye's had way worse."

Here her frown became a scowl and she began viciously chewing one of her claws until he took it from her mouth. Tossing her head Okesa grimace as she threw her hand at the window and everything that lay beyond.

"We's smarter 'n' this, neh kitten? We knows better 'n' t'blunder int' stuff like tha'! We gots t'be more careful now tha' we gots kiddo wit' us."

By _that_ the cat meant what transpired in the ravine and by _kiddo_ Okesa meant Chihiro. Looking away Haku could still feel the warmth of her fire on his face and his insides tightened with distant awe. Quietly he reminded the cat of a sobering truth.

"We would most likely be dead if not for Chihiro."

The cat lashed her tail, still sour faced as she hunkered down beside him and continued tetchily.

"Tch… S'right bu' don' let tha' distract y'from t'fact tha' she's more _breakable_ 'an us. Got's t'git 'er some proper gear so she don' get poked full o' holes, neh?"

Grinding his teeth he went sick with the memory of the arrow standing up from Chihiro's shoulder. He was forced to see again in his mind's eye as her blood ran in rivulets from her fingertips. Had she been wearing a breast plate she might have been spared such a wound. Okesa was more than right. If they were to walk this road together he must make sure she was properly attired.

"Speakin' o', yeh needs t'start wearin' yers again, neh!"

Haku jumped as Okesa pinched his side. Shoving her hand aside he drew his lips into a thin line as heat charred cheeks. He had spent so much time as of recent worrying about appearing _human_ that he had completely forgotten the armor Onsen gifted him. Feeling foolish, he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I did not anticipate a fight."

It was a lame excuse. Instantly he regretted speaking it aloud as Okesa hissed at him, folding her ears and lashing her tail as she growled in exasperation.

"Tch! From 'ere on out _everythin's_ gonna be ah fight, neh?!"

The heat in his cheeks intensified as Haku accepted her admonishment without further comment. Here his mind turned back to the fujo as his blood ran cold. Ill-willed gods and monsters usually inspired such reactions. Strange that he should find himself so unnerved by a human. Compelled by his apprehension he appealed to the cat.

"Are there many of such fujo?"

Okesa sobered before producing a wan smile.

"Nope. Lucky us, neh? 'Member tha' Bah-chan wuz ah _fujo_ jus' as much as she wuz miko t'Suzume 'n' O-Inari-sama, neh? Kiddo's gots t'take up where she left."

Here Okesa stood and skulked toward the door of the bathroom.

"Git yer shower, neh? Yeh stink like _blood_ 'n' fire."

Finding himself at a loss in her wake, He stared at the door for a long moment.

Suddenly he realized she was right.

He could smell the metallic stink of blood on his skin.

It was far too familiar and at once he was sick to his stomach.

As his skin crawled with horror hastily Haku shucked his ruined clothes and pulled an irritated moue as they crumbled in his hands. Standing tremulously, he shuffled like an old man to relinquish the ashes to the trashcan under the sink. Here he caught sight of Sengen's jewel in the reflection of the mirror. As he touched it the jewel snapped at his fingers with a shock of cold. Yanking his hands aside shaking them vigorously, Haku's skin crawled at its frozen touch. But strangely he could not bring himself to take it off. Again and again he tried only to fail. Burning with fury and revulsion, Haku realized in a flash of intuition that Chihiro would be required to remove it. In utter exasperation he tried to forget the jewel by turning himself over to the hot water and sudsing soap that waited in the shower.

Seated on the tiles, drenched in the hissing spray, he screwed his eyes shut and scrubbed his skin raw, wincing again and again as his forearm jarred and pinched. Ignoring the pain, he washed his hair three times until all he could smell was the powdery sweet fragrance of mortal soap. He let the blood and the stone dust wash away, letting the heat of the water ease his tense knotted muscles. Nearly stifled by the humid air he emerged from the cabinet and exchanged his towel for the green robe. But as he threaded his arms through the whispery silk and belted it around his waist the faint smoky scent of Kubi's pipe and Onsen's sweet spicy camphor smell lifted off the fabric.

The smells hit him far more viciously than the fujo's bells.

His breath caught in his throat as they triggered memories he did not wish to see.

Kubi's wicked grin as she blew smoke in his face.

Lin's surly frown as she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Cringing from the ghosts of the missing and the aching echoing misery their absence, Haku startled as movement flashed across the room. Scrambling back against the wall his heart thrilled into his throat sending his blood racing. It took him a moment to see the mirror above the sink. Once before he stood at this very mirror and found himself to be a perfect stranger. In that moment he was forced to reckon with just how much he had lost in giving up his God form. What a terrifying thing it was to discover he did not know himself. How pathetic and weak that creature had been; how lost and useless it was; how arrogant and entitled it had been, and what little it knew of the world and its trials. Haku stood perfectly still but still the dim outline of the obscured reflection continued to haunt him. Dread frosted his heart in frozen flakes of snow as he feared he might find another stranger beneath the veil. All the same, something compelled him to approach, and with shaking fingers he drew his palm across the frosted glass revealing the face behind the veil of condensation. Gripping the edge of the sink Haku studied the male in the mirror trying to decide whether or not he knew him.

The line of the reflection's jaw and nose cut sharp strong angles out of pale, pale skin so delicate he could see the faint tracing of blue veins. But though the skin was smooth and soft it was by no means flawless. Evil puckered punctures peppered the corded muscles of his shoulder, disappearing beneath the collar of his robe. Parting the front, Haku followed the new pinked scars across his chest to the gouges that cut across the hard wall of the reflection's stomach. These scars were much older and had begun to fade, as had the several almost invisible lines that burned distant memories of pain across the bridge of his nose and cheeks.

Cropped short and beginning to grow long again, the messy fringe of the man's inky blue black hair plastered about his wan features. Frowning intensely, Haku picked a single strand of white out of the black only to find more hidden in the hair at his temples. Leaning close to see them, Haku found there were dark smudges under the man's eyes. These gave the reflection a troubled, tired expression that intensified as a deep line creased the skin between his knitted brows. Startled by their appearance, Haku fogged the glass as he leaned even closer to inspect them.

More, however, gathered at the corner of his eyes and mouth. They did not draw as Haku frowned, deepening the lines in the reflection's forehead. Confused and wanting to know their origin, he wiggled his brows and moved his face until finally he brought a false smile to his face. Haku watched in awe as his straight white teeth flashed and the expression took over his entire face. Instantly the scowl was lost; but still, the humor never reached the reflections eyes. Eerily bright, the reflections jade green gaze held him. Stunned, Haku found something familiar in the man's solemn eyes.

Loss: how that emotion seemed to define him.

It was a reminder of everything Haku hated most about himself; his duplicity; his selfishness; his weakness. But loss was also a powerful catalyst; a spark that conjured in him the terrible wonderful emotions that inspired him to change. Eerie premonition hummed in his veins as he continued to stare at his reflection, finding rare clarity in the misty gloom. How strange it was to look back over his short mortal life and see now how bitterly he had railed against change. Those efforts had brought him nothing but suffering and in the end, change etched his face and body with its work none-the-less. Haku recognized now that he must make peace with change, because like loss, it was inevitable. He was not even sure such reconciliation was possible; even still, he would be forced to try lest he destroy himself by resisting.

It was as Amano said.

Things could never return to what they once had been.

At first Haku had resisted the truth in those words for fear that they meant his journey would prove futile. But he had not understood until this moment that the possibility of something new could include a return. Here he was, standing where he had once stood, and so much had changed. Haku witnessed his revelation in the mirror's reflection as he wrenched another truth from the harrowing lessons of sorrow and in that moment his journey seemed less a curse. Somewhere down the path he might find the ones he had lost. When he did he would bring them home. Things would never be the same after that, but this much he could hope to achieve.

Haku looked his face in the mirror once more.

He watched the grim line of his lips set with determination.

But the reflection no longer haunted him.

Instead he found an eerie sustaining calm in the eyes of the reflection.

He carried it with him in his heart as he turned his back on the mirror.


	22. Chapter 22

**CHIHIRO**

She had to run the shower for a good five minutes after she was done just to get all the mud out of the tub. Her throat didn't feel like it was lined with sandpaper anymore either but then again she'd gargled for most of her shower. Running her hand back and forth across the fogged mirror Sen inspected her make-shift turban. The towel was a perfect excuse to hide her pale hair. Chewing her lip she hoped it was dark enough that her mom wouldn't notice her eyes. Scooting the door to the little bathroom open the steam escaped in a massive billowing cloud as she peered down the dark hall, snooping as she took in the sounds and sights the house.

The sound of a shower was running in the big bathroom.

Light was filtering from under the guest room slider.

Heat was blasting through the ventilation grates until it was almost summery.

Distantly she could hear her dad sawing logs.

But the domestic tranquility was a thin veneer that hid an entirely different world.

It was weird. She should've been freaked out. She should've been wiped out and dead on her feet. But she wasn't. Maybe it was because she hadn't processed any of it and was still running on adrenaline. She didn't want to process any of it actually and that was fine. She was getting really good at repressing and compartmentalizing things so she could just keep moving forward. Right now all that mattered was everyone was alive and okay.

Well, as okay as they could be.

Her insides went all kinds of cold and tight as she glanced again toward the big bathroom. Even though Suzume had fixed his arm Kohaku looked bad. Hopefully sleep in a real bed would fix some of that, because he looked bad enough to make her consider bringing him back to Onsen. But the house might not let him go again after seeing him. Sen was just figuring out that Onsen had a major crush on Kohaku; so did the lantern. It was seriously cute. Half smiling, she shoved her feet back into her Hello Kitty slippers and tugged the edge of her night shirt down. The pale pink and yellow Sailor Moon pajama's dated back to high school. She couldn't decide whether to die of embarrassment or be super creeped out by the fact that her mom had all of her old clothes folded up and put away in her room like if she'd never left. At least it had long sleeves. She was going to have to come up with a plausible lie to explain the new star shaped scar just below her right collar bone.

Back to chewing her lip, Sen flinched as she bit through the thin skin.

All at once the taste of blood was in her mouth.

It triggered all kinds of things she did not want to see.

Lurching back to the sink she spit and spit, nearly throwing up. Rinsing her mouth over and over with mouthwash she choked on some. It burned like minty acid, forcing her to cling to the edge of the basin as she coughed and gagged. Dragging in a ragged breath, she scrambled to catch and re-do her towel as it fell. Unfortunately she couldn't because her hands were shaking violently. Letting the towel fall she seized the scale at the end of the purple cord around her neck. Clasping it tightly in her hands she forced herself to take one slow breath after the other. Because she could handle this; she had to be able to handle this; all she had now was this.

All too keenly she felt the weight of the tiny wooden box in her pocket.

It could've weight hundreds of thousands of pounds in that moment.

After seconds that felt like hours her hands stopped shaking and she fixed her hair. Numbly she shuffled out of the bathroom and down the stairs. Picking up the remote control she switched off the TV. The living room went completely dark save for the light filtering through the curtains from the garden. Distantly she could still hear her dad snoring. Coming over she sat down beside her mom and watched her sleep. Obviously waiting up for them, she was still wearing her good clothes and make-up from earlier. Her white pants weren't even wrinkled. But some of her lipstick had rubbed off on one of the pillows making her mouth look less like a wet piece of pink candy. But for once her mom's face wasn't tight with the fake smile she wore constantly. Slack with sleep she actually looked relaxed, like a real person and not some Martha Stewart robot.

She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she couldn't remember the last time she hugged her mom. Maybe it was because she was seriously beat and was getting a little emotional. All the same, she wiggled her feet out of her slippers so she could tuck up her knees. Like she was a kid again, Sen curled up beside her mom. Then she cuddled into Yuko for the briefest moment and let out the breath she had been holding. The moment she got comfortable her mom jolted awake, jostling her aside as she sat up abruptly revealing her hair had gone completely flat on one side. As if she had some of hair spider sense Yuko deftly fluffed the flattened area while searched the living room with a frown as if afraid people had seen her flat hair. Blinking blearily Yuko finally wheeled her attention around to her. Her frown intensified and her brows drew together as she looked her up and down.

"Chihiro? What are you wearing?"

Sen sighed gustily. Suddenly seriously tired she shoved her feet back into her slippers and stood gesturing toward the stairs.

"Time for bed mom."

Yuko was still staring around the living room as if confused by how she got there.

"Where's Kou? Oh, dear. He must think I'm terribly rude."

Without missing a beat Sen lied through her teeth.

"Don't worry; I got him all settle into the guest room. He's been driving all day so he's super tired. He asked me to thank you for making him feel so welcome and bringing him to see the shrine."

Yuko smiled as she stood stiffly and stretched. Stunned, Sen just stopped as her mom actually smiled; not that fake falsey happy homemaker smile, but a real smile that reached her eyes making them go all warm and soft.

"I'll have you know your father just adores Kou. He didn't stop talking about him the whole way home. But you know how your father is. He always wanted a boy. All he wants you to do is get married so he can finally have a son."

Sen winced at that, brought to a standstill. Her whole like that'd never been much of a mystery. What dad didn't want a son? All the same, the way Yuko said it made it sound like having a daughter hadn't been enough. Oblivious to the sting of her words, Yuko went about straightening the couch cushions prattling on half-asleep.

"Your father says Kou seems like an honest upstanding young man. He's so different from Karou. Goodness, they both have K names, don't they? Not to speak ill of Karou, because mind you your father really did like that fellow, but what was it he called him? Slippery. That's it. Karou was slippery."

Chihiro might've been upset by the things that Yuko was saying.

Sen wasn't.

Quietly, patiently, she endured her mom's sleepy ramblings.

The words were miles and miles away, so far they couldn't touch her.

Distantly Sen watched her mom pause only to frown again.

As the bell in her heart hummed solemnly Sen blinked.

In a flash of intuition Sen realized Yuko wasn't really talking about her dad.

Yuko was talking about herself.

Her mom blinked rapidly, straightening as if finally coming fully awake.

"I wish your father could've met Hidé. It's such a shame… Such a terrible shame…"

In that moment her mom seemed to look at her instead of through her.

And in a moment so brief Sen wasn't sure it happened, Yuko actually seemed to see her.

"You know, I wanted to apologize, sweet pea. I shouldn't've come after you in the kitchen. You just surprised me with a lot of changes recently. You caught me off guard."

This wasn't Yuko's usual push-me-pull-me hot and cold. Her mom was actually _trying_. And the terrible thing was Sen didn't know what to do or say in response to that. It was too much too late. There was nothing she could do or say that could reach across the invisible divide that stretched between them. And the reaction was so automatic she didn't realize she'd spoken until the words fell from her lips.

"I'm sorry too, mom."

Yuko waved off her apology, flashing that thin smile.

She smoothed her sweater even though it wasn't wrinkled.

With a punch of sorrow Sen watched the moment of reckoning pass unfulfilled.

Then it was gone.

And that was for the best.

"Things have been a bit topsy-turvy for us recently, haven't they?"

Sen almost laughed at that. But it would've been a bitter humorless laugh.

Yuko's statement was such a gross _understatement_ it was almost cruel.

Still utterly clueless, her mom continued blithely.

"By the way, where's Michio? I was surprised when she didn't come with you."

The floor seemed to lurch beneath Sen's feet at the mention of Michio's name.

At once her mouth went dry.

She looked away and swallowed with difficulty as her throat constricted painfully.

She forced herself to speak but this time couldn't bring herself to lie.

"We had a fight."

Yuko sighed gustily and waved this off as well.

"Again? You two always seem to be fighting. I'm sure you'll make up soon."

All at once the bell was humming in her heart.

A painfully familiar light seemed to dig in the back of her eyes.

Rigid as a board, again Sen endured the increasingly familiar flash of intuition.

For a second she caught a brief glimpse of something she'd seen in Sengen's mirror.

Michio: sitting with her back turned toward her as if waiting.

The vision left her bewildered and distracted with strange fragmented knowledge.

Sen startled as Yuko planted a quick dry kiss in the air in front of her forehead.

Stunned, she watched her mom shuffle for the stairs.

"Good night, dear."

Sen stammered the words hoarsely.

"N-night, mom…"

Lifting her eyes to watch her mom disappear into the second story, Sen stared after her for a long moment just to make sure. Then she shook herself and turned for the kitchen, catalyzed by the brief stab of prescience her mom had unknowingly conjured. Tearing the towel from her hair with one hand, she shoved the other in her pocket to command the wooden box hidden then.

"Bath tile."

The moment it was in her hand she slapped it to the pantry door and hauled it open. Magic gnawed every inch of her skin as she strode across the threshold. Momentarily giddy, she shuddered convulsively. She came up short in the middle of Onsen's dark kitchen. Sen's eyes had already adjusted to the dark so she saw as Kuromi stood from where she had been seated on stairs leading up to the great room. Barefoot and wearing her usual black and yellow striped school uniform. Her long glossy hair fell in an ebony curtain around her perfect white face. Blinking and blinking and blinking some more, Sen's mouth fell open. Premonition told her someone was waiting for her.

But the spider was not who she had been expecting to find.

Neither was Sen expecting to hear what the spider said next.

"I overhead what you said to Kohaku-san; I know that you have seen his death."

The quiet grave words bounced off Sen's forehead one after the other.

The last one knocked her backwards into the wall.

Stunned and breathless, she could only cling to the doorframe.

Kuromi continued in a quick persuasive whisper.

All the while she crept closer, never taking away her intense ruby gaze.

"I will make a deal with you, Lady Sen. I swear I will watch over and protect Kohaku-san with my life. All I ask it that you allow me to follow wherever you and he go."

It look her a long moment to find her voice.

The taste of blood was back in her mouth as she was on the verge of being sick.

"Why!?" Sen choked while staring askance at the spider, "What do you get!?"

Here Kuromi's face grew guarded.

"I already told you; he and I have a bargain to keep. But he does not trust me and so I cannot trust him. Therefore I am forced to seek your help."

Sen blinked as she remembered the pact Kuromi revealed in the hallway.

The spider wanted to be human.

For some reason she thought Kohaku could show her how.

He, however, apparently didn't want to have anything to do with Kuromi.

Regardless of what and why, the spider had helped her and Suzume.

Kuromi saved them from the boulders.

Aki would've torn her to pieces if the spider hadn't stopped her.

Kuromi was crazy strong; she was fast and smart too.

Sen ground her teeth as she remembered the sound of Kohaku's scream of pain when the rock struck him in the canyon earlier. Sen hadn't been fast enough to stop that stone. What if it had been an arrow or worse? Suddenly sick with the memory of past pain she gripped her injured shoulder as the scar there continued to ache. Reluctantly Sen was forced to admit that they could use all the help they could get. What was it Kuromi said? My enemy's enemy is no enemy of mine. Finally, after what felt like ages, she whispered her agreement.

"I promise."

Kuromi folded forward onto her hands, bowing her head to the floor.

Embarrassed, Sen waved vigorously at the back door.

"Just go already! There is a house on the other side of that portal. Outside there is an old tree and an even older road. Follow it to a tunnel. Wait for us on the other side."

Sen recoiled as she found Kuromi standing on the other side of the portal.

Wow, she _was_ crazy fast!

As she looked up the spider's bloody red eyes glittered dangerously making Sen seriously nervous.

"I will do more than wait."

Kuromi promised grimly.

"I will see to it that no train passes through without your consent."

* * *

**LIN**

Fumiko returned her yukata clean and pressed.

Lin, however, refused to let the spider help her dress.

She refused all the perfumes, combs, and pretty things the spider offered.

Pleased with her bedraggled state Lin followed in the wake of the soldier spider.

Shimizu finally came to claim her. The tall scarred God woman shoved her down the long listing corridor and through another windy passage into the most elaborate car yet. Unlike the other cars there was no side passage here but instead a narrow waiting room for the chamber beyond. Plush red velvet, burnished wood, polished brass, and frosted glass adorned the double sided door. Light spilled through the opaque glass and the faint sweet smell of incense drifted through the cracks in the ceiling. A score of seasoned soldier spiders stood to either side of the entry. Their armor and their faces bore numerous battle scars and they searched her with suspicious glittering eyes. Unconsciously Lin placed her only hand on her waistband, reassuring herself that the knife was still there. Then she glared over her shoulder, jerking away as Fumiko flustered her many hands over the tangles in her hair.

"I wish you would have at least let me brush your hair."

Lin fought a satisfied smirk that faded as Shimizu threw a dour frown back at her. The solder spider turned to look her up and down with a black expression her armor clinked and clacked as she effortlessly rode the swaying floor.

"You look like a drowned rat."

Lin glared at her nastily.

"I'm not covered in blood. That's good enough."

The spider bared her needle sharp teeth in response.

"Mother wanted you presentable. Fumi-chan will get punished because you're too stupid to realize she's trying to help you."

Lin snorted humorlessly, not at all intimidated.

"First you want to kill me. Now you want to help me. Make up your mind, spider."

Shimizu wrung a silk lance in her many hands as her eyes turned murderous.

"_Shitamachi scum!_ You think you're so much better than us! I'd _kill_ you all if I could!"

As the other spiders began to shuffle and mutter in angry agreement Fumiko interjected herself between them. Cool and calm, she put one of her pale hands on Shimizu's breast plate and pushed, proving she wasn't as fragile as she looked. Shimizu lurched back against the wall, making another soldier scramble aside. Fumiko followed to pin her there, frowning with frosty disapproval that was palpable. Startled, Shimizu blinked rapidly and gaped at her sister as if equally surprised by her strength.

"Lin-san is not from Shitamachi, Shimizu. Save your hate for one who deserves it."

Thoroughly admonished, Shimizu looked at anything but Fumiko as her sister released her. Turning her back on her, Fumiko quelled the other spiders in the waiting room with a heavy stare before stepped up to the door and knocking. As they waited Lin crept closer and whispered question at the attendant spider's back.

"Why are they so afraid of you?"

Fumiko didn't turn but she answered quietly.

"They are not afraid of me, Lin-san. I am honored by their respect."

Lin blinked in utter confusion only to recoil a step as the doors jerked open. Beyond the threshold the entire interior of the car was occupied by a massive chamber just as luxurious as the waiting room. Plush couches and tables were bolted to the carpeted floor, illuminated from above by brass chandeliers festooned with orb after orb of pale mushi that scrambled back and forth in the swaying train's movement. Curling lines of incense thickened the air with cloying fragrance that could do nothing to hide the stink of the bat.

Although she had been bathed in soaps and perfumes so strong they stung Lin's eyes, although she wore hideously gaudy sumptuous silk robes and a brand new combed wig, Bah Fuh still reeked of filth. Seated on a low backless couch, bent over a massive platter that offered a fried fish as big as she was, the blind bat tore at the pale succulent flesh with her bare claws. Food smeared her fat face and the front of her clothes with wet sticky blots of oil and fat that ran down her rubbery wings in rivulets. Pausing in the midst of her feast the bat's enormous ears trembled as she snuffled the air with spastically before licking the wet pink folds of her lobed nose with the long thin blade of her food flecked tongue. As she spoke her face split into a hideous grin.

"I can still smell your blood, weasel woman. You stink of machinations."

Lin recoiled from the disgusting sight only to have Shimizu catch her from behind.

The door shut behind them as the soldier shoved her forward.

Once inside, Fumiko stood in front of them waiting silently.

As a baby cooed Lin's insides seized with terrified elation.

Her attention shot past the still leering bat.

Shimizu caught her again with a score of unyielding hands, holding her back.

Otherwise Lin would have run to where Shurui sat bent over a desk.

Absently bouncing Makoto on her knee with a spare pair of her hands, the spider riffled through pages of an accounting ledge with the others, making calculations numerous with an abacus and ink brush. A pair of thick lensed glasses perched on the point of her perfect nose. These she pushed up the bridge again and again with another of her hands as a deepening frown tightened her face with an all too familiar expression of despair. Shurui sighed gustily, oblivious to their presence as she paged through the ledger, counted again and again on the abacus, making notes in red ink with another of her fleet of hands. The last went to pinch the side of her temple as her concentration resulted in a headache.

Lin's insides scrambled in extreme discomfort as she recognized the spider's expression.

She'd worn that exact same look as she did Onsen's accounting.

Whatever the numbers meant they were obviously not adding up.

Again Lin's attention jerked past Shurui as another baby sighed. At the farthest end of the car Kiri in the middle of a plump futon propped on a raised dais. Like the bat she'd been bathed and was dressed in a soft white robe. There was a tray of delicious looking food in front of her but it remained untouched. Her short hair hung around her face in an obscuring curtain but it did nothing to hide the hollow haunted expression that transformed her face. Gritting her teeth, Lin recoiled from the shadow as it seemed to hang over her like a black cloud because Kiri stank of death. In her lap she held Kokoro with her listless arms. But as the kit trilled and squalled the cursed human cringed and bowed her head as her shoulders shook. Outrage and sorrow set Lin grinding her teeth in despair at the sight because it was beyond cruelty.

Then her eyes slid past Kiri toward a blinding flash of warmth.

Reverently draped on a stand behind the futon was the gold kimono.

It was embroidered in gold threads with the strange symbols tattooed across the odd God's back.

Just looking at it made Lin's insides crawl and her eyes hurt.

"M-Mother?" Shimizu began tremulously, "I have brought the weasel woman."

Shurui's head shot up in furious surprise. At once they spiders bowed, forcing Lin to bow as well. Papers folded and rustled loudly as books slapped shut and her chair scraped the floor. At once Shurui was standing and pacing. Watching from the corner of her eyes Lin followed the queen spider as she bounced Makoto in the woven thicket of her arms all the while glowering at Fumiko. Her spectacles were still perched on the tip of her nose, making her look more ridiculous than imposing.

"Because you deliberately disobeyed me we will have to begin rationing rice."

Fumiko dropped to her knees and bowed over her hands.

"We are accustomed to infrequent and meager meals, Shurui-san."

Lin blinked in surprise. Fumiko's reply was completely polite but somehow it came off lippy. She watched as Shimizu threw a cautioning sideways glance at her sister. Fumiko ignored it. She continued to bow demurely as the spider queen filled the entire car with her wrath.

"We cannot feed the ones you brought from Shitamachi _and_ purchase coal! We will barely make it to the Clock Tower Town as is! How are we to make our way to Heian Kyo without coal!? Would you have us _walk_ through sunlight!?"

Clock Tower Town!? Lin's insides surged with shock so strong she lost her sight for a brief flash. As once she was trembling with the knowledge of their next destination. Panic and elation vibrated in her blood as she doubted for a moment what she heard. But there was no other possibility. Suddenly so many things made sense; the smell of the dry mountains outside; the train; the upcoming stop for coal. They were traveling on the Nakasendo!

"What would Garuda-san think of me if I chose to abandoned my sisters?"

Lin was ripped from her thoughts as Fumiko's pronouncement rang with clear meaning. Stunned by her open admonishment, Lin looked up as Shurui stopped dead in her tracks. Just as quickly, Lin was forced to lower her eyes as the spider queen's gaze turned deadly. As she spoke next the Shurui's voice was razor sharp.

"You lead them from one fight to another, little fool. It is no safer here than in Shitamachi."

Fumiko bowed lower until her forehead was pressed to the floor.

"Forgive me for disagreeing, _Mother_," she spat the word with unveiled contempt, "Better that we starve or burn in the sun and die free than rot in the dark and live as slaves or whores."

It was the truth.

Otherwise Fumiko wouldn't have been able to speak it aloud.

As a dangerous silence fell Shimizu shifted nervously. Lin watched as discord warred in the soldier's eyes. But as Shurui took a step toward Fumiko Shimizu's face broke with panic. She leapt from the floor and caught her sister by the hair. Lin scrambled aside as Fumiko shrieked in surprise, struggling as the soldier spider kicked the door open and dragged her from the room, throwing her out into the waiting area before shouting after her furiously.

"_Bitch!_ How dare you speak to mother with such disrespect?!"

Slamming the doors in her face Shimizu turned and fell to one knee bowing to Shurui. Startled by the shouting, at once the kits began wailing. Shimizu was forced to shout over them to be heard.

"Forgive me for acting out of turn, mother!"

At once concerned with nothing more than soothing Makoto Shurui waved her away.

"Get out! I have nothing more to say to you!"

Shimizu bowed and rose swiftly turning for the door. Still sprawled on the floor, Lin caught the cryptic glance the soldier cast in her direction from the hidden depths of her helmet. They regarded each other for a brief silver of a second before the doors closed behind her.

"Gah!" Bah Fuh wailed in agony, "Shurui! Shurui, make them _stop!_"

Lin jolted as a shadow fell over her.

Looking up she found Shurui standing over her offering a loudly squalling Makoto.

"See to the boy," she commanded frostily.

Forgetting everything else Lin clambering upright and snatched her son into the crook up her up-tucked knees. Yanking open the front of her yukata, and bracing her back against one of the couches, she brought the kit to breast so he could nurse. At once he silenced and greedily set to work on his meal. Her insides thrilled as she realized he was larger than she remembered. Gritting her teeth again sorrow and elation, Lin patted and smoothed his spider silk swaddled body as she was forced to listen to her daughter cry unrelentingly. All the while the bath flailed and screeched, knocking over her platter and spilling the half-eaten carcass across the floor as she writhed. Vindicated by the bat's suffering, Lin glanced toward Kiri and found the human half-heartedly rocking the girl.

Impatiently tapping her foot, as Shurui watched Lin nurse her hands twitched and flustered, obviously wanting the boy back. But Shurui couldn't even be bothered to look at the girl. Lin's blood ran cold as it terrified her how little the spider cared for Kokoro. The moment Makoto released her breast with a sigh Shurui snatched him from her hands. It took every ounce of Lin's self-control not to stand and take him back. Here Shurui shoved her toward Kiri with one of her feet.

"See if you can make the human eat."

At once fighting her way through a blinding strike of bloodlust, Lin clambered away from the spider. Shurui whirled away laughing in delight, cooing and rattling a constellation of toys in her many hands to delight Makoto. But Lin's rage cooled as she climbed up onto the futon beside Kiri. Pale and stricken, the human held out the weakly crying baby as if she couldn't bear to touch her a moment more. Turning her back to Shurui Lin collected the girl from Kiri's hands and secreted her away into the front of her yukata. The bat uttered a gasp of relief as Kokoro silenced and began to nurse on her other breast. Shaking with relief as the girl ate her fill, furtively glancing at the distracted spider again and again, Lin dragged the tray of food over and tried to force the bowl of rice into the human's hand.

"Eat this."

Instead Kiri pushed the bowl away and folded forward into Lin's lap. Startled, Lin was forced to put down the rice so she could tend to the grieved human. Unfortunately for them both she had never been good at being gentle and she awkwardly patted Kiri's back with her only hand. She was forced to snatch back her hand to adjust Kokoro as her waistband slipped. Much to her chagrin the point of the knife has poked through the fabric of her yukata and was pressed against the wall of her stomach. Adjusting it proved difficult as it disturbed the girl. Kokoro burbled in protest, rooting for her breast as she lost her hold. Shushing her hurriedly and returning her to her meal, Lin hissed at Kiri beneath her breath.

"Girl, I need you to eat."

Much to her exasperation Kiri shook her head in refusal. Harshly Lin growled her next words hoping the names would motivate her.

"Think of Amano and Kai!"

Kiri flinched as again a shadow fell over them. Terror thrilled up into Lin's throat making her bend over Kiri as if to hide her and Kokoro. Appearing at their bedside Shurui pulled an annoyed moue as she regarded the untouched rice bowl.

"I told you to make her eat. I need the human to live."

Kiri stirred at the sound of the spider's voice. Sitting up with difficulty the human's pale eyes burned with hate as she glowered at Shurui only to point back at the gold kimono.

"I don't want t'live and neither does he."

Shurui's face wiped with shock as she glancing between Kiri and the eerie garment.

"You hear him?!"

"Yeah," Kiri breathed miserably as she bowed her head into her hands, "He's in _here!_"

"Ha, ha!" Bah Fuh crowed triumphantly, "I told you she would become his vessel!"

Glaring in disgust at the filthy creature Shurui called for one of her daughters.

"Yaeko!"

A different soldier spider slipped into the room and bowed as Shimizu had.

"Yes, mother?"

"Take Bah Fuh to the bathing car. Have Fumiko clean her up."

The bat seemed shocked.

"W-what?!"

Here the guard grabbed a handful of her robe, dragging the bat along at an arm's length obviously disgusted.

"You heard, mother. Come along."

"I don't want a bath!"

Bah Fuh's resistance was worthless. So were her appeals to the queen spider.

"Shurui! Where are you Shurui?!"

The door slammed shut on her protests. Once the bat was gone Shurui sank onto the futon edge as the fear in her face seemed to punch her in the gut. Lin scrambled away carrying Kokoro with her. The girl was still eating and Lin was not about to do anything to interrupt her meal. She was much smaller than Makoto and that made her insides writhe and twist with fear. Sliding off the edge of the dais, Lin watched in dismay over the lip of the futon as the spider shifted Makoto to the side. As she did Shurui gazed longingly at the gold fabric the emotion transformed her, turning her brittle and uncertain.

"Does he remember me?"

Kiri nodded reluctantly. As she spoke the Kumomi accent clipped her speech.

"Yeah. He's startin' t'remember a lot of things."

Whirling toward the garment Shurui bowed low and reverent.

"Garuda-sama!" She cried aloud like a breathless devotee, "I have finished what you began! I have crushed Shitamachi with the Wheel of Yamanote!"

Kiri's face drew into lines as she continued to hold her head as if it hurt.

"He says he's sorry t'hear that..."

Shurui's head jerked up showing her absolute shock. Working her mouth soundlessly again and again she looked back and forth between the human and the garment. It took her a moment to speak.

"But the retribution you sought has finally been given, Garuda-sama! The city that defied your will and sought to destroy you is being torn apart!"

Kiri's face went blank as she seemed to be listening carefully.

"He wants t'know if they kill because they are righteous or if they kill t'satisfy hatred?"

Dismayed, Shurui gaped the lustrous robe in utter confusion. In a voice so small Lin barely heard it, Shurui breathed the truth.

"I… I do not understand!"

Kiri's eyes went sharp as she stared askance at the spider. As if rallying at the sight of her distress the human continued to relay the God's words.

"He says he was wrong t'turn God against God."

Here Shurui struck the bed with her spare hands making it jolt. Makoto squealed and laughed as the spider jostled him even further to the side so she could reach toward the gold robe all the while arguing resolutely.

"No! No, that's not true, Garuda-sama! Shitamachi was a sickness that had to be purged! Gods who will not change _cannot_ change! That is what you said!"

Kiri's voice became strangely resonant as she offered word for word now, silencing Shurui as she spoke for Garuda.

"I ask again: do they kill because they are righteous or do they kill to satisfy hatred? Who are we to judge for others what can and cannot be done? I am not special. I am not wiser. I am just another being lost in this world of worlds. I thought myself more and I have paid the price for my arrogance. I say again, Shurui: I was wrong."

Pale and shaking, Shurui's eyes blazed with passion.

"Who put this doubt in you, Garuda-sama?! Was it Kubi?!"

The spider spat the word with hate so strong it twisted her face.

Kiri gasped, blinking rapidly with an agonized grimace. She caught her head again as if it hurt.

"What is he saying!?" Shurui demanded, "Tell me what he is saying!"

As the spider caught the human by the front of her robe and dragged her across the bed Lin flew to her feet. But even as Lin considered reaching for Umi's knife terror rooted her in place. The spider held her son. Lin held her daughter. How could protect the human and not bring harm to her kits!? Lin's heart lurched into her throat on a surge of panic as Shurui hauled Kiri into thin air, dangling here there with her many hands as she gave the human a vicious shake. Finally Kiri managed to speak.

"He's upset! Not making sense!" She gasped, "Who's Kubi!? He wants to see her!"

Shurui dropped the human, recoiling as fury transformed her face into a mask of hate. Here she whirled and appealed to the fabric incredulously.

"Kubi _betrayed_ you, Garuda-sama!"

"No," Kiri gasped as she cringed at Shurui's feet, "He says she saved him from himself."

Shurui winced as if struck physically by the words. Then she shook her head in silent denial.

"None of this matters now! It's done! Shitamachi is finished! I only want you! You are all I have ever wanted, Garuda-sama!"

Shrinking from the soul trapped in the golden threads she tried to flee the words. The spider queen began pacing the listing floor as the train whistle blasted distantly. Moving as if blinded she knocked into the furniture, tearing at her carefully coiffed hair, disarranging her papers as she rocked Makoto in her arms, shushing and soothing him even though he wasn't crying. Lin couldn't tell if she was talking to Makoto or the God-not-of-this-land trapped in the fabric at her back.

"I will bring you to a new and wonderful home! I will give you a new life!"

Repeating word for word, Kiri relayed Garuda's cold refusal.

"You have finished nothing, Shurui. You have begun again a vicious cycle in which he wants no part. Garuda doesn't want you. He wants t'fade and forget this life and all the _terrible_ mistakes he's made. He wants t'be reborn so that he can have a chance t'redeem himself."

Hearing all this Shurui's face went crazed with wild emotions. Baring needled teeth she grabbed the edge of the futon and shoved it aside. Lin scrambled out of the way as it skittered across the floor nearly smashing her legs. Kiri rode the bed in a huddled ball, almost thrown off as it struck the far wall. Grabbing the human by the sleeve Lin hauled her off the bed. As the spider ripped up more furniture, smashing it to pieces as she hurled it blindly, Lin forced Kiri to her feet and dragged her out of the path of damage. Flying splinters bounced off Lin's back as she shielded the human and her daughter. Kokoro squealed and protested loudly as she was jostled about. Holding her close and anxiously glancing over her shoulder anticipating more violence, Lin watched Shurui tower huge in the truth of her beetle-black skin as rage turned her monstrous.

Horror surged in Lin's chest threatening to break ribs as she lost sight of Makoto.

Sick with fear her ears rang and her sight grayed.

The unsteady floor pitched her off balance as Lin instinctively turned toward the sound of her son's crying.

But Kiri caught her, anchoring her with the full weight of her body.

Then train car lurched again as Shurui threw herself at the gold garment.

Seizing it in hand after hand after hand, her talons pierced the thin silk.

It bled red blood where her claws cut the threads.

She yanked it down, holding it as if ready to rip it apart.

As she did Shurui screeched at the top of her lungs.

"_You cannot abandon me! I won't let you!"_

Suddenly realizing what she was about to do Shurui jolted back and dropped the garment.

As it fell in a golden curtain of pooling silk she fell to her knees with it.

Makoto replaced Shurui's wail with his as Kokoro added her voice to her brothers.

While the kits screamed in terror Lin scrambled uselessly, grinding her teeth in agony.

But Kiri held onto her like a vice, holding her back as they fought to catch their breath.

Watching the spider suffer again the human's eyes burned with resolve.

Somehow Kiri found her voice.

And she used it like a weapon, turning the edge at Shurui once more.

"He pities you but he'll never love you."

The spider flinched from the words, bending and gritting her vicious teeth.

Here Shurui gathered Makoto close even as he continued to scream.

Then she rasped in a hoarse hiss Lin barely heard.

"He will love me, human...! I will raise him to love me...!"

Lin shoved Kiri behind her as the shadows surged. The doors to the chamber ripped open, ripping from their hinges as they hit the walls. The resounding boom echoed in her chest like the strike of a drum, knocking her backwards onto the edge of the futon. Sitting down hard, Lin held Kokoro tightly as she squalled inside the front of her yukata. But as Lin forced her only hand to scramble for Umi's knife, as the urge to fight screamed inside her ears and throbbed in her blood, it took Lin a moment to realize the car was empty. Papers blew about on the wind invading through the iron shutters, scattering in the air like frightened birds as broken furniture skittered across the plush rug as if trying to escape more violence. All the while the metal wheels beneath them continued their never-ending idle chatter.

_Clickity-clack. Clickity-clack._

The whistle of the train screamed hollow distant.

It echoed the numb horror in Lin's heart.

Because Shurui was gone; and so was her son.


	23. Chapter 23

**HAKU**

Plucking his damp tatter cloak off the floor Haku left the bath.

Calm followed him.

Gone was the panic that had seized him earlier.

His reconciliation with the mirror had brought him back to center.

That, however, did little for his exhaustion.

He shuffled down the hall like an old, old man, as his every bone and muscle throbbed with aches and pains. But he came up short as he noticed framed photos of the Ogino's decorated the walls. Stopping before one, Haku studied the image. Though they stood right next to each other, Akio beaming proudly and Yuko smiling prettily, even with her father's hand on her shoulder, Chihiro seemed to exist in a different space than parents. Haku found he was frowning as he searched photograph after photograph and found Chihiro similarly afflicted in every image. Then he happened upon an image from long, long ago.

In it Chihiro was painfully young. She wore the school uniform he had seen human children wearing in Ueno Park. Grinning broadly and looking very much like her father she revealed one of her front teeth was missing. She wore a bright red backpack so large it threatened to topple her over. Akio and Yuko held her by the hands as if to keep her upright. Though her parents were much younger in the photo little had changed. A bit trimmer, Akio still wore his arrogant smirk. Yuko still favored her pink lipstick and gold earrings. But for some reason, unlike the other photographs, they stood together instead of miles and miles apart. Coming closer Haku scrutinized the image trying to understand the reason for its difference. Then insides went perfectly still as he recognized the green rolling hills beyond the blue tiled roofs in the background.

His insides went cold as ice as he realized this photograph had been taken before Chihiro fell in his river. Haku found himself just as startled as he had been when Chihiro first saw and knew him for what he was. At that time it had been ages since any human had taken notice of him. In a panic he concealed the memory thinking her clarity had resulted from their encounter. Using magic he closed her eyes thinking he could return her to a normal life. In the end even that proved to be folly. Chihiro had been irrevocably changed when he touched her.

Haku's calm began to slip as he turned his eyes back across the images, searching and scrutinizing each only to find that the truth remained, captured in frozen glimpses of the past. The moment he saved her life he brought her between the worlds. There she remained in spite of the fact that she could not remember. She would complete that crossing much later. Again, the journey would leave her forever changed. Such a tumult of emotion welled in his chest in the wake of these truths. Though his pulse quickened with understanding he felt no remorse.

There was no other choice than the one he had made.

He refused to let her die.

As a result her life and his became forever intertwined.

Haku drew his eyes once again over the sea of faces until found the one he sought. It was small and out of focus, at odds with the other more formal images. In it was the child who had saved him from himself. Chihiro stood in front of the house. It was summer, as evidenced by the flourishing shrubs and flowers. Yuko was dressed for work and shunned the camera as she carried a box past her husband. She still wore her pink lipstick in spite of the kerchief holding back her hair. Akio however, bent beside his daughter hugging her sideways as he took the candid shot. She wore pink shorts and a white shirt striped with green. Her hair was bound back into the tight tail she still favored. But her eyes; her dark wide eyes; they stared out of the image at him with such knowing.

All at once Haku was reminded of Satako. The thought struck him from nowhere. It so unbalanced him he was forced to catch himself on the wall because with it came the fujo's curse. Calm forgotten, Haku bent beneath the weight of the mad female's words as his knees shook and his breath quickened on the edge of the horror stirring in his heart. Humans could lie. He clung to this fact lest other truths tear him apart because most of the terrible prediction remained true. When Chihiro used her wish to save Satako she had forced the child a step between. There was no return from this journey once begun.

That was the bargain of fate: something had to be lost in order to receive.

Chihiro and Satako lived.

Akio, Yuko, and Minako lost.

And so now he and Chihiro were both thieves.

Was this the price they would be forced to pay for the lives they had stolen? Despair boiled in his heart. Haku clenched his shaking fists and barely resisted the urge to strike the wall. How he _hated_ prophecy! Knowing was a _curse_ and not a blessing! He was sick and besieged with it! Fleeing the photographs and the knowledge they inspired Haku stumbled down the hall to part the guest room sliding door. Squeezing through he shut the door soundly, closing it behind him as if to prevent the dark revelations from following.

Leaning against it struggling to catch his breath he took in the room. So clean it was almost sterile, it was simply appointed in pale blue sand light varnished woods. There was a small side table, a forlornly empty book shelf, and an overly large bed. This he regarded with gratitude for with luck his feet would not hang off the end. Heat breathed out of the vents making the paper shaded light rock from side to side as the room filled with blissful warmth. But Haku came up short as he found Okesa crouched on the foot of the western style bed.

He went perfectly still as he caught sight of Shurui's black fan in her hand. Clutching the heavy iron bell in her palm she wafted the soggy fan back and forth in an attempt to dry it. Beside her the three red fans lay open on the coverlet soaking it through with a growing wet spot. His mouth fell open in consternation as cat closed the fan and squeeze the water out of its folds right onto the beige carpet beside the bed!

"Okesa! You will ruin the floor!"

The cat pulled a mild frown as she continued to carefully squeeze the fan.

"So? Got's t'git 'em dry an' quick."

As Haku sputtered Okesa twitched her tail.

"Y'sound like t'fox when y'do tha', neh kitten."

As anger spiked in his gut as she compared him to Suzume. Magic crackled in his blood in response to his turbulent emotions. More than irritated Haku tossed out his hands, catching the water midair as it dribbled from the fan. Okesa hissed in surprise, throwing herself off the bed and dropping the fan. The iron bell gave a single muted peal as it fell onto the floor. Okesa fell to her knees in response to the sound. It hit him just as physically, ringing in his bones like an electric shock. But Sengen's jewel pulsed against his naked skin only to burn with cold as the sound broke over him harmlessly. Ignoring the cat's startled gaze and distracted by concentration, Haku commanded the water out of the rug, the coverlet, and the fans. The water obeyed, falling in a reverse rain as it drifted up into the air. Gathering the droplets into a tiny orb, he ushered the water out the window amidst a blast of frozen air. It fell in a cascade of dirty snow as he yanked the window closed. Shivering violently, he turned to admonish the cat only to come up short as he found her beaming blithely, opening and closing her now dry fans. Stowing the black fan, she happily flourishing the three remaining, spinning in a circle making the bells ring as she danced.

"Good as new, neh kitten?"

Deflated by her exuberance Haku wilted as he gave up his irritation. Wincing with every move he climbed between the bed clothes. The quilt was delightfully heavy and the soft sheets slid against his legs crisp and cool. Loosing another long sigh that left him teetering on the edge of awake, Haku let his head sink back into the pillows only to flounder as Okesa climbed over him. Embarrassment flooded his face but he could do nothing but accept her attention as she burrowed beside him, pulling his left arm around her shoulders. Luckily she had chosen his uninjured arm. Claiming his hand she put it in her silky soft hair.

"Scratch my ears, neh kitten?"

Smiling in spite of himself Haku absently stroked the velvet fur of her small ears only to flinch again as she began kneading his side, pricking the covers with her claws. He endured her pointy affections. No doubt she craved comfort. In truth so too did Haku. As he continued to gently scratch her ears she rubbed her face in the fold of his kimono purring so loudly his chest vibrated. The sound was more than soothing and Haku found himself dozing.

Then he was asleep.

He did not dream. All the same, something jolted him awake only to discover the lights had been turned off. Haku was not sure how long he slept. Not long because it was still dark and snowing outside the window. Still he felt Chihiro's absence keenly. Groping the covers beside him he found himself alone. That troubled him greatly and he half feared this to be a nightmare. To be alone was true terror indeed and he called out childishly.

"Okesa? Okesa, are you there?"

Tiny footfalls crossed his legs until a familiar weight curled up beside him.

"Aye's 'ere, neh?"

Still half asleep Haku caught her impulsively, towing her close. He was rewarded by the cat's enthusiastic purring. Absently the question spilled from his lips.

"Where is Chihiro?"

"Hasn' come up yet. While back she wuz talkin' t'er momma."

"I see," Haku murmured distantly, dozing again.

The cat fidgeted as if trying find a comfortable position. As she continued to shift and wriggle Haku could hear the thoughts rattling around inside her head. Blinking himself back to a waking state Haku frowned.

"What troubles you, Okesa?"

"Neh?" The cat began quietly, "Who's Zeniba, neh?"

Her question caught him off guard. Haku did not want to think any more about the terrible things the mad female had revealed. Reluctantly he forced himself to reply.

"Zeniba is Yubaba's twin sister."

Okesa squirmed awkwardly as if embarrassed.

"Who's Yubaba again?"

Haku snorted humorlessly.

"She was once my master, the witch who stole my name and was eaten by the Forgotten."

Okesa was picking at a stray thread at the front of his kimono.

"Oh… But Zeniba didn' git eaten, neh?"

Haku returned to smoothing her hair to distract himself from the unhappy memories.

"Apparently not."

Okesa hid her nose between her folded hands but her ruby eyes were staring far, far away. They glittered in the dim light filtering in from the garden outside.

"Where's Higashiyama, neh?"

Haku unconsciously glanced to the west.

"What is it that humans now call Heian Kyo? I think it is Kyoto."

Her face creased into lines of confusion.

"Buh wot sit got's t'do wit' Zeniba?"

It was his turn to look away. Through a part in the curtains Haku watched the snow continue to fall outside the windows. The dim filtering flakes piled on the sill outside in a growing shelf of white that appeared deceptively soft. All the while he watched them his thoughts continued to turn until he could contain them no more.

"The trains that once traveled here went in both directions. I never gave their origin and terminus much thought. It is possible they once followed the Nakasendo between Edo and Heian Kyo. Perhaps to escape Zeniba the Forgotten she went so far as Heian Kyo. That would explain why Kaonashi could not follow."

At once Haku regretted speaking the gaki's name. To mention Kaonashi now implied the spirit of the dead musician the pathetic creature carried. Even though Tomoe's absence was obvious Okesa had not mentioned the ghost once since the spirit disappeared in spider cavern. He had caught numerous moments of sadness in the cat the belied her pain. He, however, had chosen to respect her silence. But now, in his thoughtlessness, he broke that silence.

Okesa responded poorly.

As Haku spoke Kaonashi's name the cat went completely rigid.

Her claws sank through the thin silk of his kimono.

Haku gasped, recoiling instinctively as they drew blood.

Then Okesa tried to flee.

Before she could disappear he caught her.

Holding her against her will was like trying to catch a fish with ones hands.

"Please, Okesa!" Haku pleaded, "Do not go!"

All at once she fell still as if compelled by his words to stay. Then she crumbled in on herself, snuffling loudly she gathered handfuls of his sleeves and soaked them through with her cold, cold tears. Feeling as if he might catch fire from shame Haku held her close only to be reminded of her tiny stature. She was little larger than Satako whereas in his mind's eye Okesa could fill a room with her dazzling presence. It frightened him to be reminded of how fragile Okesa could be. God or not; he had seen her come close to death. Holding her now and thinking of these terrible things only served to prove to him of how precious she was in his heart.

Willingly she journeyed with him through terrors and madness. She guided him through his days as a mortal neophyte, protecting him and risking her life for his. No matter how frustrating and uncouth she could be as Cinnamon the cat; no matter how flirtatious and erotic she could be on the stage in her transformations as Okesa no Sado; the cat was stronger, wiser, and more generous than few of the Gods gave her credit. Her presence in his life was now a given. He loved her as a friend, a sister, and with all his heart. And that he had caused her pain, however unintentional, brought him such sorrow.

"Apologies," he murmured in earnest, "I did not think before I spoke."

Much to his chagrin she blew her nose in his sleeve.

He, however, said nothing and let her use him as a handkerchief.

"S'okay… S'not yer fault… S'automatic, neh? Aye git upset an' aye run."

The cat sounded even smaller beneath the weight of her melancholy, drooping in his arms as if shrinking before his very eyes.

"Tommie's been wit' me fer ah long time, neh? Aye forget sometimes 'e's not 'ere."

She was wiping her face on his sleeves again, hiding in them and sounding so very lost and forlorn as she whispered through the silk.

"Where'd he go, neh? Why didn' 'e wait fer me, neh?"

His heart ached all the more because there was little he could offer to ally her suffering. All the same, he shared what he had learned for her benefit.

"Whatever his reasons, dear Okesa, they must be good. The spider said that Tomoe left the cavern on the same train that carried Lin. Perhaps he followed for her benefit?"

At once the cat's tear and snot streaked face went blank with surprise as she lifted her red rimmed ruby eyes to his. Frowning absently and unable to contain himself Haku took the corner of his sleeve and wiped at her nose. She batted at his hands, soberly considering his words as her pupils contracted into narrow slits.

"Y'think Tommie's wit' sour-puss, neh?"

By _sour-puss_ the cat meant Lin. They two of them had never set well with each other. Haku nodded, not wanting to speak the words aloud out of fear that they might become a lie. There was a chance that the ghost had indeed accompanied Lin and one Haku fervently hoped would prove true. The gaki and his resident spirit were capable of great and terrible things. Suddenly the cat growled and spit, giving him a fright. She hissed and flattened her ears, striking him with her lashing tail as she gnashed every next word between her teeth.

"Stupid, _stupid_ ghostie! Now tha' 'e's got _legs_ 'e ups an' takes off! Now aye got's t'go look fer 'im, neh! 'E ain't gonna leave me! Aye gonna find Tommie, neh! Then aye ain't never ever gonna let 'im outta my sight!"

As she indulged in an angry snit the cat scooted and wriggled herself into place beside him, burrowing into his arms and letting him hold her close. He stroked her ears as she had request of him before. At once she was purring and kneading his side. Had she continued to purr no doubt he would have fallen back asleep. Slowly, however, Okesa ceased to purr just as she ceased to knead his side. As she did Haku could feel her tensing, becoming a tightly little ball of tension beside him. Haku found himself wide awake and listening to the silence as slowly it became uncomfortable. A prick of apprehension wound round his heart in a cold line that drew tighter and tighter with each second. He did not realize he was holding his breath until finally she spoke.

"Shouldn' we be gettin' goin', neh? Wot if t'train pulls thru an' we ain' there?"

Losing his breath in a long slow sigh Haku drew it in again so he could explain.

"Grant Chihiro what little time we can spare, Okesa; we have more of it than you realize, and it is very possible that she may never see her parents again."

It was a terribly sobering statement and one for which the cat had no reply.

Blinking rapidly, she snuggled into the covers beside him.

She went quiet as she gathered her tail close to her body.

Haku closed his eyes and tried not to think about anything more.

Listening to the ringing silence he prayed that sleep would come.

Thankfully it did.

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Kuromi held out something with one of her pale pretty hands.

"I left the way to Ueno Park open in case you need to return."

Sen blinked at the spider put a bath tile in her hands. Then she blinked some more as she realized Kuromi was gone. Shrinking from the open portal and the eerie view of her parents' kitchen beyond, Sen dropped her eyes to stare at the glossy bit of wood and varnish.

"Kami-Human is stupid for trusting spider."

She gasped, dropping the bath tile as she whirled toward the front stairs as a tiny surly voice spoke out of the silence. It took her a second to see Bozu crouched under the split curtain, peering at her from under the brim of his battered bowler hat with one wide eye. He was anxiously running a long string of prayer bead through his three-fingered hands. Wilting at the sight of the yokai, Sen frowned at him before pushing off the wall to pick up the bath tile.

"Cinna says the same thing about you."

Bozu shuffled onto the landing seething with huffiness.

He shushed her vehemently before stomping his foot.

"Stupid cat is rude!"

Pale blue light flooded over his shoulders as the lantern ducked under the curtain hem, darting up into the rafters only to drift over and warily peer through the portal after the spider with the flickering iris of her flame. Sen caught the lantern as it turned blue with fright and fled into her arms while Onsen gathered overhead in the invisible cloud of her anxious mothy fluttering. When her attentions circled around the portal, it became obvious to Sen that Onsen was upset that Kohaku hadn't come home with her. Shadows writhed and intensified in the shrinking light from the lantern as the house creaked and shuddered ominously. Bozu squealed and fled down the steps to hide under the table, eyeing the warping rafters tremulously. He, however, didn't shush Onsen. As if confiding in her Bozu whispered behind his hand.

"Old House is cranky and scary!"

Exasperated and a little amused, Sen did her best to placate the house as the lantern quaked and guttered in her arms.

"He's fine, Onsen. He's sleeping. Will you cut that out before you wake everyone up?"

The house didn't seem convinced, but at least she settled down. As the shadows cleared Bozu emerged from under the table still clutching his hat as if he expected to have it yanked from his head. Sen released Chouchin only to have the lantern crowd and clamber at her back. She nearly tripped over the yokai as he appeared at her feet to command her imperiously.

"Kami-Human will let Bozu back through to Ueno!"

Sen blinked and frowned.

"You want to go back to Ueno!?"

The yokai nodded gravely.

"Kami children need Bozu."

She blinked and blinked as she remembered the kitten, the rat girl, the badger boy, and the funny old man with the kettle full of beans.

"You mean the kids in the park?"

The yokai nodded solemnly.

"Bozu will look after them until Kubi-san comes home."

How could she argue with that?

Reverently, as if it was some kind of formal ritual, the yokai took off his hat.

With both hands he held the bowler out to her and bowed slightly.

"Give hat to stupid dragon. Tell him Bozu expects it back."

Not sure of what to make of this, Sen accepted it.

"Okay…?"

Closing the slider she placed the Ueno tile on the nail then pulled the door open once more.

This would never get old.

Her insides thrilled with awe as magic surged up her arm.

Every hair on her forearms and on the back of her neck stood on end.

Her knees wobbled and her stomach flipped.

More than unnerved she stared through the door.

On the other side and halfway across Honshu was the dark of Ueno Park.

She recognized the ruined courtyard in spite of all the rubble and difficult half-formed feeling circled in her heart. But the warm air distracted her as the acrid stink of asphalt and car exhausted breathed over the threshold. There was no snow. The temperature felt balmy compared to the cold snap currently chewing on Gifu Prefecture. The Tokyo skyline slumbered on the distant horizon making the night sky warm into a dusky orange. Beyond the lip of the hill through the tall curtain of bamboo she could see the dim contours of the manicured gardens that graced the grounds of the Gojo Tenjin Shrine. Sen drew her lips into a grim angry line as she stared at the dark veranda. She half considered breaking into the shrine and making Kazue explain the geihobako.

She skittered aside as Bozu shoved past and darted across the threshold.

Sparking and spitting anxious blue light Chouchin chased after him.

Whirling with a frown, the goblin waved the lantern back towards the portal.

"Shoo! Shoo! Chouchin must stay!"

Sen cringed in surprise, hiding behind the door frame as the lantern erupted into a ghostly ball of crackling blue flame straight out of a horror movie, hissing and gyrating furiously as she lit up the forlorn courtyard. With a strangled squeal Bozu produced a wide-brimmed and battered kesa, using it like a shield to ward off her sparks as he fled to hide behind an overturned cast iron chair. Still hiding under his hat he explained himself quickly.

"Chouchin must stay to look after stupid dragon!"

At once the lantern guttered and dwindled tiny. Vacillating for a moment, the lantern finally drifted reluctantly back through the archway into the kitchen. As Sen craned her neck around the frame to look back out into the courtyard Bozu was gone. The bottom dropped out of her stomach as she wildly searched the shadows grinding her teeth against the urge to call him back. Ueno was still crawling with spiders and she'd just set him loose into the middle of that mess! But he wanted to go and she had no right to stop him. Back to chewing her lip she stood there at a loss hoping he and the kids would be okay. As a warm breeze blew across the threshold Sen lifted her eyes to watch the blinking lights of the distant Tokyo skyline.

Her insides squeezed uncomfortably as finally she shut the door.

After all this there was no way she'd be up to talking to Michio tonight.

Feeling like a coward, she took down the Ueno tile and returned the one that connected to her parents' house. Opening the slider she shuddered as magic skittered across her skin. Looking through the doorway she stared at the place that was no longer home only to recoil with a squeak as Onsen slammed the door in her face. Chouchin fed the kitchen under the curtain as the obviously unhappy ethereal cloud of the house's presence churned in the rafters spilling scary shadows all through the gloomy kitchen. Pulling on the door Sen wilted in exasperation as the slider refused to budge. Tossing the bowler hat onto the table in the nook she appealed to the ceiling.

"Don't be like that, okay? I know we said we were going to come back tonight and we didn't but we'll be back in the morning. I promise."

As before the house didn't seem convinced.

Was it possible for an entire house to pout?

Sen gestured meaninglessly as she spun in a circle, talking to nowhere and everywhere.

As she did she tried to be as gentle as possible

"Look. Even if we don't come back tomorrow we have to come back eventually. You're our home now, Onsen. We have to come home."

A jolt rolled through the house from floor to ceiling at that.

At once the walls ceased to creak and snap as the shadows cleared.

Slowly, and with extreme reluctance, the door rolled open.

Before the house could change its mind Sen crossed quickly and shut the door. On the other side she found herself clutching the doorknob in both hands so tightly her shoulder began to ache and burn. As the connection severed and the prickle of magic faded she found herself on the brink of tears. Blinking rapidly and struggling to breathe, she yanked the tile off the pantry door. Shoving it into her pocket she fled upstairs not needing to see where she was going. But as she came around the corner in the hallway heading for the guest room Sen came up short.

The door to her room was open.

A light was on inside.

It spilled down the hall like a stain of warmth parting the indigo gloom that stopped just short of touching her toes. Scooting forward, creeping along and trying not to make a sound, she sidled up to the door frame and peered inside. Somebody had tidied things up, righting the side table and returning the things that had fallen from the shelves in Kohaku's wind. For a moment Chihiro panicked and thought perhaps her mom had been in here before she went to bed. But then she saw him. White as a ghost Suzume was seated at her desk clean and crisp as if he didn't even know what mud was. His long sleeves and the hem of his hakama pooled over his bare feet making him look like a giant as he perched on the edge of the tiny kid-sized chair. He was completely out of place among her stuffed animals and the other faded fluorescent high school detritus. With one of his blackened hands he held back the ragged fringe of his hacked off hair. With the other he turned the well-worn pages of her book.

Light from the buzzing bulb glinted off of something sitting on the desk beside the book.

Sen's insides went perfectly cold as she glanced at the bit of shell.

She stared stupidly at the bracelet Hidé made for her.

She'd forgotten all about putting it in the drawer beside her bed.

She'd put it here when she left with Michio for Tokyo.

It must've fallen out when they knocked over the side table.

Suzume must've found it.

Avoiding looking at the bracelet Sen glanced back at the fox and blinked. For once he didn't look supremely pissed. His face was smooth and calm as his eerie gold eyes darted back and forth across the page. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him read. He was pretty in the same Godish way that Kohaku was pretty. But as she continued to spy on him a pinch formed between his brows. As it deepened into a scowl his ember eyes flashed to the side, looking right at her as his mouth drew into a thin grim line. Instinctively Sen jerked back from the doorway with a squeak. She flattened herself against the wall as her insides crawled anxiously. Then from inside the room she heard the fox sigh in exasperation. Feeling like an idiot she wilted then pushed away from the wall. Loitering in the doorway she realized she was waiting for him to invite her into her own room. Annoyed, she opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing in her room only to have him cut her off.

"Child. How much of this is true?"

She blinked and blinked and blinked. Suzume closed the book but lingered his hand on the cover. It took her a second to realize he was talking about her story. At least he didn't mention the bracelet. Stalking by she plunked down on the edge of her bed and grabbed a pillow to hug, still pissed that he'd invaded her room without her permission.

"All of it," she answered tersely.

As he didn't reply immediately she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and found him searching the walls of her room with a bemused smirk.

"Pink?"

Sen dropped her burning face into the pillow, muttering sullenly through the cushion.

"Blame my mom. I've always like green better."

Her jerked her head up in surprise as the mattress shifted.

Suddenly Suzume was sitting beside her.

The fox was considering her shoulder with a cryptic expression.

"Does it pain you still?"

His question was a gentle murmur compared to his usual commanding barks. As heat intensified in her already charred cheeks she forced herself to nod. Because it did hurt and lying to him would only piss him off. She stared at his charcoal black hands as he offered them gently.

"May I?"

Looking away she shrugged her shoulder out of the neckline of her nightshirt. His hands were cold as ice as they slid across her bare skin. She bit her lip to keep from sucking in a sharp breath. But slowly the nagging chewing began to fade as he gently massaged the place where the arrowed punched a hole through her. Again her vision swam but not because of her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and blinked rapidly trying to make it clear. Again Suzume startled her with kindness as he continued to work.

"Child. There is no shame in tears."

Looking away she stared at the snow falling outside the window feeling strangely numb.

Chihiro wouldn't have had any problem bawling her eyes out.

Sen sighed long and slow.

"I'm tired of crying. It seems like that's all I ever do."

His hands paused although they remained lightly.

"How is the pain?"

She shrugged and circled her shoulder only to find the pinching ache gone.

"Better."

Although he took back his hands Suzume remained seated beside her. It wasn't a bad thing. In fact, it was really nice. For some reson having him sitting next to her made Sen feel safe. Again Sen glanced at him from the corner of her eyes only to find him studying the drawings tacked to the far wall. They looked crude and childish compared to Satako's amazing creations. All the same, the fox seemed enthralled. It took her a moment to see he was staring at one she'd made of Lin.

"Do you draw still?"

His question caught her off guard.

"N-no… Not really… I write instead."

That last bit came out more deprecating than she intended and Suzume frowned.

"There is great power in words, child."

She blinked at him in confusion.

"Huh?"

Again he snorted as if she'd said something stupid. But before she could say something nasty in return he stood and produced from his sleeve a crisp sheet of the warm beige calligraphy paper he favored, unfurling it between them like some kind of magic trick. Turning on his heels he sank onto his knees in practiced movements only to produce an ancient calligraphy brush from his other sleeve. Seated at the edge of the bed like it was a desk he held back his long trailing sleeve with almost ritualistic precision. Then Suzume poised the brush on the paper and painted swift graceful stroke across the page. Sen's eyes went wide as ink soaked through the paper as if summoned from thin air. Out of nowhere the characters for maple leaf appeared on the page in gorgeous curling strokes. Yanking up the edge of the sheet she searched the underside and saw none had soaked through onto the coverlet. It was then that she realized the paper was no longer paper. Instead it had become a fresh green maple leaf in her hand. Startled, she dropped the leaf and shrank dividing her dumbstruck stare between the sprig and the fox.

Suzume was hiding a smirk behind one of his ink black hands.

Scowling, Sen resisted the urge to kick him.

"H-how'd you do that!?"

Flourishing his other hand he held up the calligraphy brush.

"This is no ordinary brush. Just as this is no ordinary paper. But be warned for the magic does not last long. Once the ink evaporates completely the spell comes to an end."

As he gestured toward the leaf Sen realized the color was already beginning to fade. Again she jumped as he took her hand and closed her fingers around the brush. Before she could protest he pressed a finger against her lips pulling an irritated moue. But there was still an ember of the smirk he'd hidden glimmering in his gold eyes. It flickered brightly like one of his foxfires.

Sighing as if suddenly exhausted, Suzume continued to frown sourly as he stood looking at her bed as is sizing it up. As he sat and stretched out on top of the covers he took up the entire bed, displacing her without so much as an apology. She clambered to her feet glaring at him incredulously only to take small pleasure in the fact that his feet hung off the end by more than a few inches. As he turned her back on her it was obvious he was done talking. She stared at him for a long moment trying to decide whether or not she should kick him out of her room. Then she picked up the blanket Kohaku had knocked from the foot of the bed earlier. This she unfolded and spread over him. It was way too small and barely reached his knees. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do for his feet.

As she turned and switched off the bed side lamp Suzume spoke up in the dark.

"Sen."

The sound of her other name brought her to a standstill in the doorway.

He never called her by her name, especially not her _other_ name.

A thrill went spidering up her spine as he admonished her gently in the dark.

"Do not speak ill of your words. They carry more weight than you know."

Speechless, she fidgeted awkwardly caught up in a flood of difficult feelings.

Then her eyes fell on the bracelet again.

Again light glinted off the mother of pearl shell.

Panic surge into her throat, making her lightheaded.

Snatching it up she shoved it into her pocket.

Closing the door she hurried away feeling like an idiot all over again.

Sen was down the hallway and squeezing through a crack in the guest room slider before she realized what she was doing. She was willing to risk getting caught by her mom. There was no way in hell she was sleeping on the floor in her bedroom or on the couch downstairs. Besides, right now she very much needed to feel him beside her. But Sen came up short on the other side as she found the bed already more than occupied. Poor Kohaku was perched on the edge looking like he might slip off at any moment. Cinna, however, was sprawled across the rest of the queen sized mattress occupying an impossibly large amount of space. She'd even thrown one of her arms across his pillow so that he could only use a single corner. The cat was snoring softly and every so often she twitched, wiggling her toes.

Vacillating wildly between outrage and amusement, Sen watched them sleep.

Kicking off her Hello Kitty slippers Sen came around to Kohaku's side of the bed. Emptying her pockets onto the side table she leaned over him and shoved the cat. Cinna growled in her sleep but rolled aside, flicking her in the face with her tail as she reluctantly made room. As Sen pushed and prodded the cat out of the way Kohaku woke with a jerk, blinking up at her in sleepy confusion that soothed into recognition. His hair was flatted on one side where it dried on the pillow. He couldn't seem to keep both eyes open at once, blinking owlishly. She was too tired to laugh at him as he scooted to the side holding the covers up. As she climbed into bed beside him he fought with Cinna for the blankets. The cat had wadded most of them up beneath her back. Finally he hauled enough free to pull over them, covering her in warm floral scented linens. Yuko always chose the stinkiest detergents. The bed was way too soft; creaking with springs every time she moved. All at once Sen missed the hard futon she once found terribly uncomfortable. She missed the faint spicy smell of cedar and camphor. But his arm was better than any pillow and she burrowed against him.

Then Kohaku winced and circled his wrist.

As it cracked loudly her eyes shot wide open.

It was the sound of bones snapping, triggering flashes of horror behind her eyes.

Rocks and fire cascaded through the inside of her head.

Then he was absently smoothing her hair.

And she had to close her eyes after a few moments of that.

The slow thudding beat of his heart was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**HAKU**

As she rolled away in sleep he went with her.

Draping his arm across her waist he pulled unconsciously.

Chihiro obliged, wiggling backwards until her back was pressed against his stomach. Her shirt had crept up just as the front of his robe had crept apart. He could feel a burning patch of her soft bare skin against his. Letting out a contented sigh he curled around her tickling his nose in her messy hair. She smelled strongly of human soap, as did the soft bed clothes enveloping them. Relaxing his head into the pillow Haku tried to find sleep again. But the nagging ache in his arm slowly forced him awake. Grudgingly he opened his eyes but refused to move for Chihiro was still sound asleep. Warm and comfortable, he was happy to simply lay here until forced to do otherwise.

It was then he realized that Okesa was missing from the bed.

Where the cat had gone he did not know.

At the moment he did not care.

Though sleep had restored him Haku still felt every ache and bruise that the previous evening had dealt him. Blinking rapidly he squinted, lifting a hand to shield his eyes only to wince again as a pinch of pain numbed his fingers. Thin blades of light angled into the guestroom through gaps in the translucent curtains, filling the room in diffuse pale blue. Worried by the brightness and fearing they had slept late, he glanced at the side table seeking the red glowing hatch marks that told human time. The electric clock reassured him that it was quite early. But then Haku found himself staring at the geihobako. One of the oni-shaped fittings exposed its tongue in a rude gesture as if mocking him.

Beside it dangled a bit of rope and shell.

Haku knew the thing immediately.

At the sight of it his heart tightened and twisted as if wrung by a frozen fist.

No matter how much time passed he would forever be haunted by what had transpired on the rocks beside the sea. Hastily Haku threw his eyes away even though the pain remained in his heart worse than any that afflicted the muscles and bone of his mortal body. He was surprised by the anger he felt at the sight of the bracelet that Hidé gifted Chihiro. The bracelet was a suitor's offering. And with a surge of feral vehemence he desired very much to snatch it up and hurl the thing out the window! But in the wake of that heated urge guilt cooled the wild stab of jealousy. Much to his chagrin Haku considered Chihiro might feel similarly if she knew of how Kubi had gifted him the green robe. Haku forced to look at the bracelet again and took small solace in the fact that he had not seen her wear it since Sengen's curse drove her from Kumomi.

His scale, however, remained forever around her neck.

Drifting his eyes across the nape of Chihiro's neck he gently smoothed her silver hair aside so he could trace the purple cord with the tip of his finger. As it sent an eerie nibble skittering up his arm Haku marveled at how the witch's magic resonated in the fibers still. He, however, was not nearly so pleased with the jewel he was forced to wear. Reluctantly he took his hand back from the soft sweet curve of Chihiro's hip to grip the bit of sapphire that hung on a silver chain around his neck. He had not had the chance to ask Chihiro to take it back. Though it burned with an intense cold that made him apprehensive, Haku acknowledged that Sengen's jewel had served him well the previous night. Whereas it might have laughed and gladly drowned him, thanks to the jewel's persuasion that saltwater deluge Haku inadvertently set lose in the canyon obeyed his every command.

And that left him wondering sullenly if that was Sengen's doing.

Or was it her son's?

Again Chihiro shifted, rolling towards him this time. Haku forgot his dour thoughts as he scooted to make use of the rest of the bed, turning onto his back so she could pillow her head on his shoulder. She sighed gustily and snuggled into him, absently opening and closing her fingers on the nubbly fabric of his kimono. As if she was sunlight and he a pile of snow Haku melted into her touch. All the while a heat of entirely different kind intensified inside their bodies pressed together. As dawn intensified beyond the curtains the invading daylight caught in her pale lashes and glinted off her starlight hair making her burn in his eyes like pale fire. He could summon no words to describe the love that surfaced in his heart for her in that moment. Overwhelmed, Haku traced her lips with his hungry gaze. Gently he tipped her face towards his to plant a light kiss on those lips. He, however, had not expected her to respond with such enthusiasm.

At once she pressed and molded herself into the crooks and bends of his body, ghosting her hand into the front of his robe and drawing her fingers in light lines of fire across his chest. He sucked in a sharp breath of surprise only to jolt as she yanked at the front fold of his kimono open. Fleet and determined her mouth grazed the curve of his pectoral muscle only to close over the hard point she uncovered there. The shock of the contact struck him back into the pillows. It forced a strangled sound from his lips as he arched beneath the sheer pleasurable power of the sensation. Humming in low ardent response, she suckled and swirled her tongue daringly, setting him writhing in the bedclothes. All the while her hand traced the meridian of the hard hollow that was his stomach, fording lower lower still. Scandalized, he rolled over and pinned those brazen, _brazen_ hands.

"Are you not the one who is worried your mother might discover us!?"

Haku hissed beneath his breath, admonishing her as his cheeks burned. She pouted prettily all the while gazing up at him smolderingly.

"You started it."

Momentarily stymied, he worked his mouth soundlessly only to frown indignantly.

"I only kissed you and _chastely_ at that!"

In response Chihiro flattened her feet on the bed, lifting against him making it clear she was no longer worried about being discovered. Nor was there anything chaste about the thrilling slide of her skin against his skin. Weakened by the glorious sensation, his resistance began to crumble as the heat of her body beneath his inspired in him a stab of lust so strong he was forced to bow his face into the curve of her neck. It left his entire body trembling. Finally free, her hands dipped back inside the front of his robe only to part, darting to his sides where she traced the skin of his back with whispering fingertips; gently, softy, so achingly slowly. He was left cringing, twitching, and gasping atop her. But he was not lost entirely; not yet.

"N-not here, dear one…!"

He begged against the soft skin behind her ear. Her hands, those wonderfully terrible hands; finally they fell still. And Chihiro loosed a frustrated sigh as she ran a bare foot down the back of his calf. Her breath was hot and quick against his shoulder.

"Why not? There's nothing dirty or bad about this."

He struggled to explain himself, finding it exceedingly difficult to think.

"I know, dear one, but I… I do not wish to be discourteous toward your parents."

Forcing himself to roll aside tucking the front of his robe back into place appealing to her for consideration only to have her follow. As she tugged at it her face lit up with a wicked grin.

"My parents love you, especially my dad. I can't believe I'm telling you this, but as wrong as it sounds he'd probably cheer you on."

At once he was battling her hands again, distracted and encouraged by her words.

"Have I made a good impression then?"

Chihiro snorted.

"Are you kidding? Yes and then some!"

As she stared at him directly Haku found himself looking away smiling shyly. She sat up beside him folding her legs and tugging the hem of her shirt down. The stretchy garment was terribly tight and far too small. It crept back up revealing a glimpse of her navel. Still stretched out beside her he was offered an unobstructed view. This strange bit of human anatomy never ceased to fascinate him. Heat crept into his cheeks as he realized he had tilted his head to the side and was staring at it curiously. To distract himself he spoke his mind.

"Are you pleased then?"

She blinked rapidly as was her habit.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Immediately Haku realized he had spoken the whole truth without intending to do so. Reluctantly he was forced to continue.

"You did not seem to enjoy the idea that I should meet your parents."

Her face wiped with confusion.

"When?!"

Diffidently dropping his eyes he stared at his scale where it hung around her neck. The cord had become twisted during their wrestling. He hesitated a moment then reached out to untangle it, reaching further into their past with his reply.

"When I was still a God."

All at once she went perfectly still. He could not bring himself to look for fear of what he might see. Then she began wringing the hem of her shirt in her hands, hurriedly whispering as if trying to explain some great transgression

"I didn't mean it like that, I… I was just _worried_; worried for you, for me, for everyone. You were really unhappy back then and it made you… difficult."

Haku smirked ruefully.

"_Difficult_ is not the word I would have chosen to describe myself, dear one."

Again she was staring at him and this time he forced himself to look. He found her face tight with confusion as she studied him as if unsure of something.

"Just now… Were you being sarcastic?"

He blinked and frowned.

"What is sarcastic?"

She snorted again, wavering somewhere between amusement and disquiet.

"Seriously?

Fighting back the ever lengthening fringe of his hair, he glanced aside as embarrassment kindled in his cheeks; because he did not understand what she was asking.

"As you say: seriously."

Again she blinked as if he had said something utterly bizarre.

"How would've you described yourself?"

As the heat in his face intensified as he found himself baffled by her questions. Furrowing his brow he searched for the correct words and settled on one of Jae's favorites.

"I was quite an ass."

She sat back shaking her head as if struck by some profound revelation. All the color drained from her face as she continued to gawk at him. Fidgeting uncomfortably he confronted her disquiet. Sitting up on his knees he flustered his hands uselessly wondering what he had done wrong.

"Dear one, you stare strangely and it makes me terribly nervous!"

She continued to look at him as if lost.

"You! I don't know what to think of _you_!"

Just as lost he returned her gaze and quietly appealed for explanation.

"I… I still do not understand...!"

Back to pulling the bottom of her shirt she looked away and spoke quickly.

"You've changed so much… You joke and tease and make _sarcastic_ comments! You're acting like a _normal_ person! And after all the wind and rain and… and… the _growling_ and the almost _eating_ people it _freaks_ me out because I feel like I don't know you anymore!"

Haku listened carefully, absorbing all she had said.

Slowly he came to understand.

For as she spoke of him in turn she also spoke of herself.

Gently he stilled her hands with his.

"A great deal of time has been stolen from us, dear one. What time we had together has been short and mostly bitter. We are both changed because of it. But that does not make us strangers to each other. Nor does it make us strangers to ourselves. Does that make sense, dear one?"

As she continued to stare blankly he appealed gently needing to know she had heard him.

"Chihiro?"

She cringed at her name, yanking her hands away and abruptly changing the subject.

"That's not my name anymore."

Here she grew angry, throwing down her clenched fists.

The child Haku once knew used that exact same posture to display her displeasure.

Had she been standing no doubt Chihiro would have stomped her foot.

Glaring at him sideways she threw her pale gaze away as sorrow seized her face.

"Calling me that is like me calling you Kou!"

He studied her for a long moment and realized she had discovered the truth he had seen in the photographs on the walls in the hallway outside. Watching her now he also realized she was struggling just as he struggled before the mirror the previous night. She was trying to understand what she was becoming and at the same mourning the loss of what she had been. Quietly, gently, he reached for her and tried to explain what he knew only too well.

"Though you are no longer the child that fell into my river; the memory of that girl will always live inside my heart. Just as I hope the memory of the poor dishwasher and the God of the river I once was still live inside of yours. I love her as I love you now. So long as I love her she will never be gone completely."

Finally she looked at him, staring with that same blank expression for what felt like hours. Haku almost panicked thinking he had said something terribly wrong. But unlike before she was looking at him and _seeing_ him. She must have heard him as well because she threw her arms around his neck just as Satako had. In a wild rush of relief he kissed and tucked the crown of her head beneath his chin.

"I will call you by any name you choose; tell me which and gladly I will do as you wish."

This he murmured into her hair only to have her shiver violently.

"No... You can call me Chihiro still," Chihiro hushed through chattering teeth, "You're right. Things are different. I'm different. You're different. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm _scared stupid _one day you'll get sick of all this _being human_ crap and regret your decision!"

Ah. So that was it.

Haku sighed gustily as finally she revealed the truth of her discord.

Amano was right: guilt was the worst of mortal afflictions.

How they suffered from it so unnecessarily.

Taking her hands in his he lifted them to his face.

Finding her eyes he held them with his gaze compelling her to see him again.

And he repeated with confidence what he told her that night what felt like ages past.

"This is real, Chihiro. _I_ am real."

He moved her hands to press them over his swiftly beating heart.

"I know things no God could ever know; I see things no God could ever hope to see; and because of that I am able to _feel_ things for you things no God could ever feel. Seki no Taro was incorrect. I am _more_ than I have ever been before, not less. And I will _never_ regret my decision as long as I live."

Slowly Haku watched her face smooth.

Out of her pale luminous eyes welled an eerie unwavering calm.

It touched a chord deep in his heart where storm clouds brewed and rivers flowed.

Such a look did not belong to the girl he once knew.

It did not belong to a human either.

And it became clear that she had become more as well.

Sen's eyes burned as she offered her mouth challengingly.

"Given our record and where we're headed, when's the next time we'll both be clean, safe, and have a bed?"

She muttered the last word as if terribly annoyed at him for wasting time in which they could have been otherwise occupied. And his lips quirked as her hands closed on the lapels of his kimono and pulled.

"Kiss me already, you prude!"

As his hands surged up into her hair he bent his head to oblige.

Back onto the tangles of blankets and sheets they crashed.

But even as they made love in the dawn light a shadow remained.

Even as he loved her.

Even as she loved him.

There was nothing either of them could do to chase it away.

Because the road they would be forced to walk lay outside their window.

And there would be no turning back once they began.

* * *

**CHIHIRO**

Parked in the lot beside a municipal power shed she switched off the Audi's engine.

Sen bowed her head to look through the front window.

Ahead of them the old hinoki tree loomed above the old road hidden under the snow.

It rose like a memory out of the blanket of white muffled and garlanded in ice.

Its indigo shadow stretched long in the early light filtering across the bald blue sky.

Like an accusing finger it seemed to point right at her parents' house.

The blue structure seemed to stand out in the midst of the other drab beige buildings. Again Sen was struck by the eerie sensation of distance that yawned in her heart. They'd left only minutes ago blaming work for their early departure. But already it felt like years. She could barely recall her father's teasing grin and her mother's embarrassed frown. It scared her for some reason. As that cold vice tightened on her heart she compelled herself to fish the phone from her purse. Shivering with something that had nothing to do with cold, skittering away from thinking about what had happened earlier, she dialed her mom. Almost immediately Yuko picked up sounding more than confused.

"Chihiro? Did you forget something?"

All at once her mouth went dry and her pulse surged into her throat.

"N-no," she stammered hoarsely, gritting her teeth as again she was forced to lie, "I forgot to tell you something. I'm going to be hard to get a hold of for a while. I… I'm going on a writing retreat, okay? So don't worry if you don't hear from me, okay?"

Yuko uttered a short vacant laugh.

"You didn't have to call to tell me that, Chihiro. You hardly call as is."

Pulled off center, she panicked and launched into pleasantries.

"T-thanks for letting Kou come. It was nice to see you."

In the distance Akio yelled with enthusiasm.

"Is that Chihiro? Tell her to bring Kou any time!"

Yuko heaved a frustrated sigh, calling back at him irritably.

"Yes, it's Chihiro. Don't yell when I'm on the phone, dear. I can't hear."

After Yuko finished scolding her dad Sen found the silence between them stretching until it was painful. Sick of lying, she blurted the truth into the void just to make it stop. Her words escaped in a desperate hush that surprised her with just how much it was true.

"I love you mom. Tell dad I love him too."

Yuko made a surprised sound, flustering her way into another strained laugh.

"You're such a strange girl, sweet pea."

Sen closed her eyes and insisted with calm firm patience.

"Just tell him, okay?"

"Fine, fine. Don't make yourself late. You're the owner of a business now and you need to set a good example for your employees."

She could almost hear her mom waving her off.

Her heart thrilled into her throat as she realized Yuko was about to hang up.

Again she blurted her words desperate to have them heard unlike last time.

"Good bye, mom!"

"Mm-hm. Talk to you soon, Chihiro."

Then Yuko hung up. Sitting there with the phone still held to her ear, feeling that chilling void unfold and expand in her heart, Sen stared blankly at the soot sprite hanging from the rear view mirror. Then she dialed Lydia with shaking fingers. As her cell rang and rang and rang some more her insides scrambled uncomfortably; because once she'd gotten back into cell reception Sen had gotten a bazillion texts and messages from Lydia. Finally her personal assistant answered and it was obvious that she'd been asleep.

"Chihiro! Thank God! Are you okay!? Where are you?!"

Her assistant's concern set Sen's insides searing with shame. For all she knew Lydia had been in Asakusa or Ueno when the cavern collapsed. She could have been hurt; or worse.

"S-sorry I didn't call sooner… N-no, I'm not in Ueno. I'm in Gifu."

"G-Gifu?!"

Before Lydia could say anything else Sen launched into what she had to say.

"Look, I'm going away for a while. If anyone freaks out cover for me, okay? Look after Satako and Michio for me, okay?"

She could almost hear Lydia blinking in confusion on the other end.

"W-what do you mean you're going away? Where're you going?"

Sen uttered that bitter humorless laugh.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you.

Again Lydia made a series of unintelligible sounds that Sen plowed through without hesitation. She'd accessed her Google Drive from her phone before she'd called her mom. Chihiro had kept a copy of all her files online and Sen was extremely grateful for that.

"I e-mailed you the second book. Read it. It'll explain what I can't. Gotta go."

"Chihiro, wait!"

As panic bloomed in Lydia's voice again she interrupted finding herself strangely calm.

"Thanks for everything. I mean it."

Sen hung up and turned her phone off before Lydia could call back. Then she returned the cell to her purse and produced the geihobako from the pocket in her voluminous trousers. These she'd bound around her shins with the thick bindings, lacing them tight with the traveling sandals Kuromi made for her out of spider silk. Once again she came up short, staring at the curling embroidery on the ancient sleeve as the outfit she'd found in geihobako nibbled her skin with the unnerving tingle of magic. It was all she had to wear after what happened last night, which made breakfast interesting. Kohaku had a similar problem. He'd lost his human clothes to fire just as she had. But somehow he managed to hide their appearance from her parents. If anyone could see them now they'd probably wonder if Toei Studios was filming a samurai movie somewhere close by.

Turning her attention back to the geihobako, she watched in unnerved awe as the box swallowed her purse whole even though it was impossible small. Shoving the thing back into her pocket, leaving the keys in the ignition, she popped the door and climbed out into the blast of frigid air. As she stood she sank to her ankles in the creaking powdery snow. But the thick padded jacket tightly belted around her waist and the layers of the soft undergarments below held back the cold unlike anything she'd ever worn. Even though only a single pair of tabi stood between her toes and the ice she couldn't feel the bite. But as the car dinged persistently she slammed the door harder than she intended because the calm she felt earlier was eroding.

Bracing her bare hands on the hood of the car Sen stared at the strange sleeves.

Following curling fire patterns stitched into the fabric as she struggled with despair.

It weighting her insides, falling like a sliding cascade of stones.

These she fought to order to stillness as she had the boulder in the canyon.

Startled, Sen glanced to the side as at the back of the car Kohaku pushed away from where he had been leaning against the edge of the trunk, giving her privacy and waiting patiently for her to finished her calls. All decked out in lacquered lamellar armor Kohaku looked straight out of Princess Mononoke, especially with Lin's sword belted to his waist. But his worried jade eyes belonged to an entirely different story. The cuts and gouges on the scales of his breastplate, the threads of silver flashing at the temples of his inky hair, and the deep lines tightening his handsome features captured the long and difficult chronology of that tale. But their story was nowhere finished. Before he could speak, before the sound of his voice unlocked the terrible flood pent up insider her heart, Sen mastered the emotions and produced the bath tile that lead back to the Onsen.

Kamaji's token glinted in the morning sun.

Glossy and wet, it looked like a handful of blood.

It held his unwavering gaze.

With fingers made rough by sharkskin gloves he silently accepted the bit of wood. Turning toward the power shed he placed the tile on the narrow door in its face. The tile snapped into place, sticking like a magnet. Turning the doorknob he pulled open the door. Again Sen shivered with nothing that had to do with cold. Over his shoulder she caught a glimpse of the kitchen. Megumi was flattened against the far wall as Kenka clung to her pale with terror. Pressed against the side of the range Jae clutched a spatula like a sword. Savory smells of breakfast wafted through the frame from behind him. Speaking across impossible distance Jae cursed explosively from the other side.

"_Jesus fucking Christ!"_

Kohaku jolted as Jae reached through the doorway and hauled him across.

All at once Kohaku had his hands in the air as if he was being held at gunpoint.

Shaking him physically, Jae bitched him out.

"Where _t'fuck_ were you, Kou!?"

As Jae began shouting in Korean Sen hurriedly crossed and shut the door, looking on in a loss. Jae obviously wasn't intimidated by Kouhaku's appearance. It was totally weird to hear him sound so awkward and sorry. It was equally weird to hear him called Kou again. It reminded her that these guys had a long and difficult chapter in their story.

"A-Apologies, Jae!" Kohaku stammered faintly in Japanese, "T-things did not go according to plan!"

Jae was shaking him again, looking ready to sock him in the face. Sen really wished people would stop hitting him.

"What _fuckin'_ plan you _fuckin'_ asshole! You were s'posed to come back last night!"

Kenka flooded forward to pull Jae away as he continued to gesture with his spatula.

"Dude! Calm down!"

Red faced and pissed, Jae struggled in Kenka's grip as the tall guy held him back.

"Get _t'fuck_ offa me, man! _I said get off!"_

"Enough!" Kohaku interjected in exasperation, "Why must we always fight!?"

Unfortunately she didn't have time for this. Sen skirted the scuffle, going unnoticed as Megumi took Jae's place at the stove wearing a long suffering expression, hastily saving things from burning. Kneeling by the bottom step she untied her sandals and darted out of the kitchen. Instantly Onsen was fluttering over her head like an anxious cloud of moths as she passed the empty great room and flew by the empty welcome station. The paper sliders parted ahead of her as the house struggled to capture her attention. Trying not to be mean, Sen pleaded with the ceiling in a bare whisper.

"Not now, okay?"

Gathering in an intense cloud over her head as if wanting to argue, the ethereal presence dissipated as Sen took the corner into the guest wing. But here her steps slowed as her pulse quickened with dread, throbbing up into her ears until it was all she could hear and feel. Standing there struggling to breathe Sen stared in confusion as the bell inside her heart tolled ominously. The door to Michio's room was open. The fact that she was up this early sent a thrill of apprehension swelling inside Sen's chest. Creeping forward, she hesitated then peered around the frame to look inside.

It took Sen a moment to realize the room was clean.

Everything was packed up in boxes again as if waiting to be moved.

Sitting with her back to the door was Michio.

Out of nowhere Sen saw again the flash of the image she'd seen in Sengen's mirror. Only now did she understand the vision. The shock of Michio's synthetic green hair was completely out of place amongst the pale beige paper, cool tatami colors, and the deep burnished woods. She was dressed like she was going to a punk rock funeral. Beside her was a Hangry & Angry backpack stuffed to bursting. As Sen took all of this in the same uncrossable void that opened between her and Yuko suddenly yawned between her and Michio. Again the bell tolled in her heart so loudly she shook with the sound. Stunned and horrified Sen opened her mouth only to have her voice fail. Then Michio interrupted her.

"I came with you thinking eventually you'd come to your senses. But you didn't."

Still staring forward with adamant resolve her best friend continued.

Feeling faint Sen clung to the frame listening to Michio's quiet, quiet voice.

"I don't care what you say, this didn't just happen. You _chose_ this! I didn't! I don't want to see any of this and that's my choice! You've already made yours and you're gonna have to live with what it costs because you can't have everything!"

Sen struggled to swallow but couldn't.

Her mind raced as she tried to think of something to do or say.

But she was left with nothing but her best friend's name.

"Michio…"

At once Michio slapped her hands over her ears.

"No. Chihiro's gone! You disappeared the moment you climbed out of that _fucking_ river and all along I just didn't want to admit it. You're that doppelganger bitch from the story and that's who you've always been! You're Sen _and I don't want to see you!_"

The last hit her like a balled fist.

It knocked her backwards making her ring with an echoing silence.

Sen knew all too well she couldn't have everything even if Chihiro didn't.

Already Sen had been forced to reckon with the fact that in all choices there was a price.

Michio was right; she had chosen this just as Michio was making her own choice.

Sen had no right to deny her that, especially after what the fujo said.

By letting Michio go at least Sen could return some of what she'd inadvertedly stolen.

Like an opening dam that cold calm flooded her through with strangeness.

It drowned the screaming denial clawing at the insides of her heart, bring it to silence.

Out of that uncanny quiet Sen found a voice that didn't belong to her but always had.

Backing away from the door she cleared a path.

"Go through the door in the kitchen. Take the car. It's paid off and the keys are in the ignition. It's yours now. The keys to the Aoyama house are still attached. That's yours too."

Sen watched as if from another world as Michio took shaking hands from her ears.

Her friend's nobby knees shook violently as she stood and zipped her thin hoodie.

Picking up her backpack she threaded her skinny arms through the straps.

Then she stood there pigeon-toed forlornly as if reconsidering.

Michio flinched as Sen spoke again, this time commandingly in hopes of galvanizing her.

"If you ever need me you know how to find me. Go. Don't look back."

Because if she faltered, if she turned back, Sen wasn't sure she could let her go.

Then the goth ran.

She lowered her head and sprinted by without so much as looking.

Michio didn't pause as she bolted around the corner.

She didn't look back.

* * *

**HAKU**

Reaching for him with obvious intent toward violence, Jae dragged Kenka forward still shouting wrathfully, spraying Haku flecks of spit. The male was wearing an indigo yukata over which he had tied a kitchen apron stained with work. On his brow he wore a folded kerchief that bore the pale curling white dragon that was Onsen's namesake.

Hurriedly Haku sidestepped as Jae hurled a spatula at him wildly pleased it was not a knife.

The cooking implement bounced off the wall and clattered on the blue-green tiles loudly.

Onsen shuddered indignantly.

But the humans were too fraught to notice the house's ire.

"We didn' know what _t'fuck_ happened, man! I thought you _died_ or somethin'! I ought t'break your face for _scarin'_ t'shit outta me!"

"A-Apologies, Jae!" Kohaku stammered again, stunned by the male's fervor.

"Your apologies don't mean _shit_, man! _Do_ what you say you're _gonna do!"_

A bell rang over the din of shouting.

With startled squawks the males jolted backwards, flying apart as they scrambled backwards.

Kenka knocked against the kitchen sink and Jae sprawled onto the nook's table.

At once Haku was staring at Megumi.

She continued to flick one of Okesa's fans from side to side.

Swaying with it her compelling rhythm anchored the two males in place.

Glaring at them in abject exasperation she glanced at him only to lift her chin challengingly.

Haku's lips quirked and he bowed his head in recognition of her success.

"You learn quickly, Megumi-san."

As she threw the fan high, severing the spell, the males sagged.

Pale with fury, Jae shoved himself upright making the table jolt and skitter on the tiles.

Snatching the headband from his head he hurled it at the ground along with his apron.

"_Fuck you, Meg!"_ He spat viciously before stabbing a finger at him, _"Fuck you too, Kou!"_

With that he thundered up the back stairs into the second story.

"Let him go."

Haku had not realized he was following until Kenka caught his arm.

"Dude… What're you wearing?!"

Taking back his hand the tall male finally looked him up and down as if finally seeing him. His face went pale as he stared at the gouges scored across his breastplate. It went paler still as he gawked at Hanoane where she was buckled to his side.

"N-nevermind… I… I think I figure it out."

Backing away a few steps, Kenka hurriedly returned to scaling fish in the sink.

"So what did happen last night?" Megumi demanded tersely.

She tucked the folded fan into the tightly tied band encircling her middle as she flipped a pancake in the skillet. Haku stared between them wordlessly, noting both wore Onsen's yukata like uniforms. As he cast about he realized Chihiro was gone. Torn and distracted he sank onto the bench in the nook and explained poorly.

"Explosions, landslides, demons, and pain."

Haku cringed from their attention as they stopped their work to stare in astonishment.

"Before or after you met Chihiro's parents!?" Megumi demanded quietly.

Awkwardly Haku picked at the lacing of his vambrace.

"After."

"At their house!?" Kenka interjected in horror.

"No, no!" He reassured him while gesturing meaninglessly, "In the hills beyond."

Megumi and Kenka glanced at each other in wordless alarm. Thankfully they did not question him further on the matter. It was here that Haku noticed Karasu's hat where it sat atop the table. All sound seemed to flee the world as he snatched up the battered black bowler. He was on his feet as a violent wind went tearing around the room making the slider rattled in its tracks.

"What is this doing here!" He demanded furiously.

Both Megumi and Kenka startled, shrinking into each other staring at him askance.

"D-dunno, dude. It was there this morning."

"Where is Bozu!?"

"I… I don't know," Megumi answered at a loss.

Kenka took a step towards him.

"You okay, dude?"

Haku jerked backwards in fright catching air as Michio threw herself through the split curtain. The ill-tempered female was the last person he hoped to see in this moment. But as he settled against the wall beside the stairs leading to the second story Haku knew instinctively that something was wrong. She almost fell as she barreled down the short flight of stairs, making the oversized pack on her back jostle and rattle. Ignoring them all she lurched for the back door and threw down her shoes. Shoving her feet into the ridiculously high heels, she tore the back slider open only to recoil with a face twisted by terror. Magic surged and crackled, revealing the pristine white hill at the base of the Ogino's house. Cold surged through the open door along with the bright winter sunlight, flooding the kitchen with the muted mineral scent of snow. Through the portal Haku could see the vehicle Chihiro had parked beside the shed.

Without a word or a glance Michio hurled herself across.

Still holding Karasu's hat Haku watched in stunned silence as the female waded through the snow, ripped the driver's side door open, then threw herself into the car. If it had been anyone else he would have tried to stop them. But all he could do was stare as the engine roared to life. The tires spun in the snow only to catch. The vehicle tore great ruts in the unblemished snow as it dragged itself backwards. Haku stood, drifting to the doorway to watch as it to skid to a halt. Tires spinning again in the deep snow, finally the car plowed forward. Still Michio refused to look at him as she careened by the shed. Snow sprayed through the open portal as the car roared by splattering the blue-green tiles. Onsen shuddered violently then slammed the portal shut right in his face. As Haku retreated a few steps the kitchen seemed terribly dark and cold as the sunlight from beyond abruptly blotted out.

Again they were left listening to naught but the sounds of the hissing gas burners.

And the eddying whisper that was the wind of his disquiet.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHIHIRO**

Sen stood there for a long moment trying to decide what she was feeling.

Chihiro would've been wailing and screaming and crying.

But then again Chihiro was a spoiled child who thought she could have everything.

Sen, however, was surprised that she could stand the loss of her best friend.

But then again Sen was getting used to losing things.

Staring at where Michio had disappeared Sen listened to the silence filling the hall.

It didn't last long.

The walls of the house were terribly thin. It made snooping super easy.

Apparently Satako took after her in this respect.

"That's Chihiro's voice, mom!"

The girl hissed beneath her breath from behind one of the sliding doors down the hall.

"Shhh! I don't think you should bother her right now, sweetheart."

Mrs. Tanaka hushed back diplomatically. It was obvious that Minako had overheard everything that happened between her and Michio. For her sake she was trying to control her daughter; but Satako was a force to be reckoned with and she argued forcefully.

"This's the last time I'm gonna see Chihiro for a while, mom! Onsen said so!"

Sen flashed a frown at the ceiling, more than annoyed with the house for meddling. Sounds of scuffling emanated from the room before the door yanked open without so much as being touched. Bright pink with cheer Chouchin darted ahead of Satako, illuminating the girl's way as she clambered out of the room on hands and knees. Dressed in one of Onsen's indigo yukata, thoroughly disheveled from sleep, Satako wasn't wearing her wig. Sen's insides tightened with cold as she stared at the cruel scar that climbed across the little girl's skull. But the black fuzz of her hair was beginning to grow back now that she was done with chemo.

"Satako! _Satako!_"

More than frazzled, Minako chased after her daughter, catching her and pulling her upright. Wearing one of Onsen's yukata, the brittle woman struggled to keep the front from gaping as she threw her gaze down the hall. Both Satako and her mother froze as they caught sight of her. Even Chouchin came up short, guttering white in surprise.

"Wow!" Satako cried in delight, "You look so _cool!_ Do I get one of those outfits too?"

Suddenly a shadow passed over Minako's face.

Sen saw it clearly.

She knew it for what it was as the woman's arms tightened around her daughter.

Fear: sharp as a knife it cut across Mrs. Tanaka's features.

All at once the fujo's words returned to haunt her leaving her sick with guilt.

She had to clear her throat before she could manage to force herself to be cheerful.

"Saka-chan, will you give me and your mom a moment?

Before she could argue Sen offered something Satako couldn't refuse.

"Kohaku's in the kitchen. I'm sure he wants to see you."

Instantly the girl's face lit up like a summer sparkler.

"Really!?"

She lurched out of her mother's grip and was down the hall beckoning the lantern.

"Come on, Cho-Cho!"

Chouchin darted after the girl dancing and gyrating happily. Sen found she was smirking and as they disappeared around the bend the house gave a sympathetic settling snap. But her smile disappeared as Minako jerked in surprise, shrinking from the rafters and the walls as all the color drained from her face. Undisguised terror pinched the features of the thin woman threw her attention back at her. Gods, she was so skinny! Sen could see her collarbones clearly. It was like worrying was eating the poor thing alive. It vibrated in her very being from the tips of her tiny toes to the top of her messy knotted bun.

"I… I think I understand now what Satako meant when she said you were sleeping."

Sen blinked, finding she was frowning in surprise. She and Mrs. Tanaka had met on several occasions over the past six months; first here at the Onsen; following that many times at the Kodansha offices, and of course at the hospital where Satako was being treated. Sen hadn't realized until now that Minako knew far more about her circumstances than she let on. Clasping her hands tightly, Satako's mother looked her up and down with evasive glances.

"Is t-this who you really are, Ogino-san?"

Sen forced herself not to fidget.

"Yeah, but I'm only just now figuring this out."

Suddenly Minako looked faint as she forced herself to speak.

"When we came here everything _changed!_"

She breathed the word like a prayer: full of awe and trepidation.

Change: that seemed to be the word of the day.

"I know it's because of you and I want to know why you chose my daughter."

Sen looked back at the bend of the hallway as the truth slipped out of her.

"When I look at Satako I see myself."

That didn't satisfy Minako in the slightest.

"W-what did Michio mean when she said you disappeared?"

Lifting a hand to her chest Sen closed her hand around Kohaku's scale.

"I was supposed to die in that river. I would've drowned but he saved me. My life came at a price. From that moment onward I belonged to the Gods even though I didn't realize it. I think that's why I've been able to make it this far after everything that's happened."

Again Minako's question came sharp like a jabbing knife blade.

"What does that mean for Satako!?"

Regardless of what was possible and impossible between her and Kohaku, how could she tell this woman to her face she was going to steal her daughter!? But how could she lie and say otherwise!? Sen cringed as she danced around the damning revelation the fujo had forced onto her hands. And so she settled on a half-truth, withholding some in hopes of softening the blow.

"I chose Satako that way Kohaku chose me. Now she can never have a normal life. She's going to grow up to be just like me."

Burning with shame so strong it was a wonder she didn't burst into flames Sen forced herself to look at Minako. Again surprise dumped a bucket of cold shock over her shoulders as she watched the brittle woman marshal through her terror. As Minako stood tall and lifted her chin Sen realized the woman's eyes were turning pale like the rest of the humans they'd collected here.

"I don't care what she becomes as long as she lives and she's happy."

Sen blinked and blinked and blinked some more. Minako reminded her of Usagi in that moment. The rabbit had the same tremulous courage. The two of them would really get along. That gave her an idea in another stunning flash.

"I'd like to offer you a job, Minako-san."

The brittle woman's head jerked up as her pinched features cleared with shock. Hurriedly Sen continued to explain with persuasive cheer.

"I don't care if you don't have any experience. Natsumi will teach you anything you need to know. You don't even have to live here. You could get a place in town. I'm sure Naniko will help you find something."

For some reason the woman bowed her head as her lips drew into a thin grim line.

"If only it was that easy…"

Stymied, before Sen could ask why Minako revealed a difficult truth.

"My husband and I are getting a divorce."

Astonished, Sen found she was gaping. She'd met Dr. Tanaka a couple of times. He seemed like a nice guy. Minako's face was bright red with humiliation as she continued to explain, smoothing her ragged hair with her thin fingers. But as she did her face hardened.

"My husband is an Oncologist, Ogino-san. He has devoted his entire career to treating children with cancer at the expense of his family. I made my peace with that because as a result he has risen to the top of his field and has been able to help many people. But you can imagine his anguish when our little girl was diagnosed with an aggressive advanced malignant tumor."

She gestured to herself.

"Susumu isn't like me, Ogino-san. He's all science with no room for mystery. He knew from the beginning what Satako's chances were and he was very clear with me about that fact. Susumu doesn't believe in miracles, which is why he kept doing more and more tests on Satako even though she was clearly recovering. He's so afraid she's going to relapse he can't be happy with the fact that she's getting better."

Anger flared in her pale features.

"He keeps bringing her to see more and more specialists. He's gotten second and third and fourth opinions. The tests are _hurting_ Satako! Being in the hospitals all the time is making her _sick_! I refuse to let him drag her though this again!"

Again she bent and went grim with indignation.

"He's fighting for custody on the basis that I'm an unfit mother. This from the man who's turned his back on us for his work for the past ten years."

Sen continued to stare blankly at Mrs. Tanaka. This was a thoroughly _human_ problem so far outside her sphere of experience she had no idea what to say. And so she offered something Godish in hopes that it would explain just how little all this mattered.

"Satako belongs to the Kami now, Minako-san. Even your husband can't stop that."

A flicker of fear returned to the woman's face.

But with it came a glimmer of hope.

Before she could ask anymore question Sen hurriedly gestured for the hall.

"C'mon. Let's get you some breakfast. Whatever they're cooking smells awesome."

* * *

**HAKU**

"What _the hell_ just happened?!"

Haku was not sure who spoke.

It could have been either Kenka or Megumi.

He was not sure how long he stood there staring at the back door.

Premonition hung over him like a heavy snow laden cloud.

And his hammering heart succeeded in pumping ice through his veins.

Because something had changed; something that was both great and grave.

He had felt its beginnings most keenly the moment they arrived at the Ogino's home.

Now, whatever it was, Haku felt it snap into place within his soul.

It shook him with the distant aftershock of something much larger.

But before he consider it further Chouchin darted into the kitchen.

Whizzing round the rafters one, then two, then three times before she erupted into brilliant pink light as she saw him. Whirling away from the door Haku yelped as the lantern dove at him, knocking him back into the slider. He was forced to drop Karasu's hat in order to catch her in his arms. The lantern towed him off the ground in brightly sparking exuberance. Gritting his teeth as a flash of pain surged through his forearm, Haku held on out of instinct as his feet left the floor. All this Kenka and Megumi watched in open mouthed silence only to shoot their attention back toward the front hall as Satako squealed in glee that matched Chouchin's as she came sprinting through the kitchen curtain.

"_Haku! Haku! Haku!"_

Scrambling down the stairs on hands and knees she lurched for him only to seize his pants leg. Pulling with all her might she tried to bring him back to earth scolding the lantern. Chouchin flared an angry red, struggling higher obviously not wishing to share.

"Let him down, Cho-Cho! It's my turn to hug him!"

Here Satako grew distracted as she found Karasu's hat. Picking it up, she frowned at the bowler and dusted it off. Haku released the lantern and drifted to the floor on another gust of wind only to catch the hat as the gale snatched it from Satako's fingers. She nearly knocked him from his feet as she threw herself at his middle, hugging him with all the strength her tiny arms could muster.

"Yay! You found Mr. Bozu's hat!"

Haku glanced down at her sharply stunned by the revelation.

"W-what?"

"Onsen said Mr. Bozu left it here for you when went back to Ueno last night. He wants you to take care of the hat for now but says he wants it back."

Haku stared askance at the battered bowler. Seeing it now made it impossible not to see Karasu. He had not thought of the crow for a long while. Now that he held his little brother's hat in his hands easily he recalled the young god; the easy flash of his smile; his strange habit of perching; his obsession with shiny things. Oh, such terrible, _terrible_ grief consumed him as he saw his brother in his mind's eye and knew he would never see him again! Finally Haku forced himself to place the hat on his head. He knew not else what to do with it. The hat fit well, and he hardly noticed the tears until they ran down his cheeks. Flickering a sad solemn blue, Chouchin sank to his shoulder and softly bumped the side of his head. He pressed the lantern to his cheek, bumping her back in silent thanks for her comfort.

"Are you crying? Why are you crying, Haku!?"

As Satako yanked on the front of his armor he sank to one knee. Sorrow held him still even as she threw her arms around his neck looking him over as if trying to find some hurt she could mend. Unfortunately there was no mending this hurt. He would carry the wound in his heart always.

"It is nothing, Satako."

Frowning unhappily, she dabbed at his face with a corner of his sleeve.

"It has to be something otherwise you wouldn't be crying."

Haku flashed a wan smile and stilled her hands.

"Where is Chihiro?"

The human child nodded at the kitchen curtain.

"She 'n' mom are talking. Chihiro said I should come see you."

Haku found himself frowning at the front stairs. He hurriedly searched for a way to distract the child.

"Will you go let the other kami know that Chihiro and I will be leaving soon?"

"B-but you just got here!"

He gently disengaged himself even as her tiny hands tightened like vices.

"Please, dear Satako? We have not much time."

She drooped unhappily but nodded.

"Kay…"

Lifting his eyes to the lantern, Haku hoped the light understood his veiled plea.

"Stay with her, dear Chouchin?"

The light sputtered white as if surprised before she dipped in rosy acknowledgement. Even though he could feel the weight of Megumi and Kenka's eyes he avoided their pointed stares. He was on his feet and out of the kitchen in a movement so quick he set a wind chasing down the corridor as he came up short in front of Chihiro and Minako. As the wind poured around them Satako's mother gasped in shock. Catching himself on the tips of his toes Haku rocked backwards onto his heels only to bow automatically.

"Apologies, Tanaka-san. I did not mean to frighten you."

White faced and wide eyed, she bowed just automatically only to bow again. Haku blinked then returned her bow not wanting to appear rude. Before she could bow again and he in awkward return Chihiro gently ushered the human female past him to the split curtain.

"Think about my offer, okay?"

Minako hesitated, glancing back at him before nodding. As she disappeared through the curtain into the kitchen Chihiro stood with her back to him. It took him a moment to realize she was avoiding looking at him.

"What has happened, dear one?"

Chihirosighed grimly.

"I gave back some of what I stole."

Slowly his premonition and Michio's flight began to make sense.

But before he could offer her comfort she turned, frowning at his head quizzically.

"Nice hat."

Haku balked a moment then reluctantly explained its appearance.

"It belonged to a friend."

"Bozu, right?"

Gritting his teeth he was forced to tell truth even as grief threatened him.

"No. A young crow who called me brother."

Chihiro was back to frowning at the hat.

"How'd Bozu get it?"

"Bozu was always trying to steal this hat from Karasu."

"Why'd he let him have it?"

Haku choked as finally sorrow overwhelmed him.

"Chihiro, Karasu is _dead_... May we not speak of him anymore?"

"I-I'm so sorry!"

Stunned and horrified, as she came to him he held her at bay with a single shaking hand. Dropping his gaze he hid his face beneath the brim of the hat as his sight blurred. All the while Haku fought to regain control of himself.

"It is not your fault, dear one. The grief is still new to me and I handle his loss poorly," he breathed through thick misery, "Come, dear one."

Beckoning to Chihiro he retreated down the hall and turned into the great room. At once Haku appealed to the ceiling.

"Will you open your coffers to us, dear Onsen?

The floor gave a settling snap and seconds later the phantom cabinets opened out of every wall as if they had always been found here. The soft squeals of their hinges echoed throughout the room in a chorus of brass fittings as their heavy inlaid doors opened as if attended by hundreds of invisible hands. Out of each spilled wondrous treasures beyond imagine for the house kept a store of magic that crossed between both worlds. The spicy scent of camphor and the vibrating thrill of age rolled out among the offered goods as heavy gold and silver embroidered kimono, glinting pottery and lacquerware, paintings, and weapons gleamed and winked in the dim morning light filtering through the opaque paper sliders drawn on the garden to keep out the cold.

"Wow…!" Chihiro breathed in amazement at his back.

Glancing back at her he found her clinging to the archway gazing inside with eyes so large he could see the whites all the way round. Gawking and craning her neck she crept into the great room only to turn in a circle so she might take in all of the house's wealth. Whispering beneath her breath she lifted her eyes to the ceiling.

"I always wondered where you kept all your cool stuff…"

While the house creaked and popped as if pleased with herself, Haku turned his attention to the armaments. Coming over to a series of floor to ceiling cabinets he browsed the collection pole weapons. Bows and other projectile weapons hung from adjacent hooks. As he continued to inspect the collection he found a rack of swords of all thicknesses and lengths then finally found drawers and chests full of breast plates, pauldrons, quises, gloves, shin guards, and helmet upon helmet of every size, shape, and color he sought equipment that would suit both Chihiro's height and frame. Though they were obviously old the trappings of battle showed no sign of rot or wear. They vibrated with the same strange magic that enchanted mortal object he bore with gratitude.

He found her peering over his shoulder curiously.

"Is this where you got your uh… all _that_ from?"

He nodded absently.

"Onsen has gifted me many things of great use. Arms up."

Chihiro stood to attention as he held out a light vest of lacquered plates in hopes that it might fit her. It was woven of stout black cord complete with waist and shoulder drapes. Though not a set of full plates as he bore, it would provide adequate protection against both blade and bow. Moreover, it was light and would permit agility. Chihiro frowned askance at the armor and laughed uncertainly.

"Um… Is this really necessary?"

As he unlaced the gap at the side of the vest he nodded solemnly.

"You will find Clock Tower Town much changed, dear one. For your hair."

Grimacing unhappily, she accepted the indigo kerchief Haku offered. After tying back it tightly she wiggled into the plates as he kneeled at her feet. Crouching there he tugged the vest into place and laced it lightly, loosening the other seams in several places so that he could fit it to the shape of her body. Holding out her arms and standing like an unhappy scarecrow she glanced at him again and again with increasing uncertainty. Finished with the fitting, he glanced up at her questioningly.

"How does it feel?"

"Weird," she muttered before bending and twisting awkwardly, "But okay I suppose."

He knocked on the solid shaped plate over her breast before lifting to his feet.

"Try not to set fire to this."

She snorted, following as he turned back to the cabinets.

"You make that sound so easy…"

Next Haku fitted her with bracers that would keep a bow string from bruising her arm and gloves to lessen the inevitable blisters that would plague her fingertips. Darting away only to return with more accoutrements, across her chest he buckled a quiver only to have her protest.

"I can keep my bow in my pocket."

Gently he encouraged otherwise while placing his palm on Hanoane.

"You will want a weapon at hand, dear one, not secreted away."

She blinked rapidly as was her habit then her frown became a scowl. But in producing her bow hand after hand from her pocket she had to maneuver it awkwardly around the leg drapes. Suddenly seeing the merit in his suggestion she slid the unstrung length of supple burnished wood into the case at her back along with the headless ceremonial arrow. His insides scrambled and he gritted his teeth as she produced the handle of bells festooned with ribbons.

"That, perhaps, would be best kept out of sight."

She blinked at it before returning the suzu to hiding.

"Oh… Right. What about this?"

As she held up Sengen's blade Haku threw himself aside hissing between his teeth.

"That as well! Put it away at once!"

She did as he requested only to frown at him in confusion as he yanked the jewel from under his breastplate holding it out insistently.

"And this! Take _this_ back! I cannot remove it myself!"

Even as she took it in her hands as if making ready to lift it free Chihiro fell still as her face became a stunned mask of surprise.

"I... _I can't!_"

Her stunned gaze, her face tightened as if she was hearing something distant.

"I think he wants you to have it?"

Haku knew exactly the _he_ Chihiro was. Whirling away Haku tugged on the chain savagely hoping to snap the links so he could hurl the thing aside. He succeeded only in bruising the back of his neck as the chain would not break. Growling in frustration he threw up his hands in a fit of fury.

"I _do not_ want _his_ help!"

Somewhere at his back she uttered a short humorless laugh.

"Kohaku... We can take all the help we can get."

Flashing an irritated moue he returned to her side only to be shoved aside as Okesa forced her way between them. Haku startled as the cat's appearance took him by surprise. Dressed from head to toe in black, she wore the same tabi, voluminous trousers, gloves, and tightly fitted coat she favored during their previous time spent in Clock Tower Town. Though he knew it would be useless to entreat the cat to wear plate or male Haku did not need to beseech Okesa to take up arms. Ignoring them completely the cat browsed the weapons cabinet the way a human might peruse department store windows. But her enthusiasm curtailed as she flattened her ears and lashed her tail.

"_Tch!_ Stinks like _blood_…"

Here the cat spun on her heel to squat and review the fitting job Haku had done on her breastplate. He watched in silent satisfaction as Okesa could find no error in his work. As the cat darted back to dig in the chest of armor, Chihiro watched Okesa cat wriggle and buckle herself into a black set of red laced plates with expert swiftness.

"How d'you know so much about all this?"

The cat briefly flicked her ruby gaze at Chihiro before pulling on fingerless gloves all the while wiggling her claws.

"Aye's lived ah long time 'mong _humans_ 'n' one t'ing aye's learned is they's powerful fond o' fightin' wit' each other, neh? Got's t'speak t'languge o' t'locals if aye wants t'git fed."

Here the cat selected a knife sheathed in a smooth lacquered scabbard carved without adornment. To him it was barely more than a dagger, but in her hands it looked like a short sword. This she secured to her back with the tight sash wound round her tiny, tiny waist. Muffled in the waistband winked her many fans. He counted three red and recalled that Megumi held in her possession a fourth. However, Haku's blood ran cold as he counted the fifth. He stared at the black fan knowing the sixth and final still remained in Shurui's possession.

"Why would you want a knife if you have fans?"

Again Okesa glanced at Chihiro as if she had asked a stupid question. Then cat turned and jabbed her repeatedly in the breastplate with the haft of a folded fan. Though it was a harmless gesture she moved so fast he did not see her, reminding him just how deadly she could be. As Chihiro recoiled in surprise Okesa grinned her sharp yellowed teeth and winked.

"Kinda hard t'poke ah hole wit' ah bit o' wood 'n' paper, neh?"

Pale and unnerved, Chihiro cast her eyes back over the weapons.

"Where'd all _this_ come from anyway?"

Haku startled backwards until he knocked against the wall under the kamidana as Suzume spoke up from beside them.

"Long ago the law alone was not enough to dissuade humans from committing crimes."

As Haku's heart thrilled up into his throat on a spike of anxiety, he glanced from the corner of his eyes and found the fox leaning against the great hall archway white as a ghost. But Suzume ignored him. Looking away as if unconcerned he continued to explain distantly.

"A household was expected to possess the means to protect itself."

Glancing back at the store Haku realized all bore the same insignia: trefoil sheaves of rice. The mark of O-Inari-sama was unspoken but strong. With an increasing sense of sorrow Haku was forced to recognize that there was enough armor here to suit at least a dozen humans. If only they had been so prepared when the spiders invaded! It was a bitter useless thought. Because in spite of this store of weapons none of the Nikkou family survived this world. But even as one line ended another began. In their care the house survived. He, the cat, the fox, and Chihiro now stood to take up arms in defense of their family. Haku watched in silence as Suzume came to stand over Chihiro. Okesa retreated as he approached, slinking over to hide at Haku's knees. As the fox took stock of Chihiro's arrow and bow he frowned her up and down as if distantly annoyed.

"Where is the knife?" Suzume demanded shortly.

Haku ground his teeth as she produced it from her pocket. He forced himself to hold back a protest at the fox plucked it from her fingers only to secure it at her side with a solid length of blue procured from the cabinets. The blade was terribly dangerous, as much to her as so others. Seeing it tied at her side froze his insides with apprehension. The fox, however, had not finished his inspection.

"And the mask?"

Scrambling a hand at her side Chihiro held something out. Snatching it from her fingers Suzume roughly fitted it over her face only to take a step back looking her up and down discerningly.

"You look God enough," Suzume pronounced finally, "It will do."

And it was true.

Stunned, Haku found himself staring at the phoenix's face as it glinted like umber gold in the dim dawn light. The face flashed like fire in the gloom. Dressed in her age old garments and the armor of her adopted family, steeped in magic that vibrated in the very threads of her silver hair, had he not known better Haku would have called her Kami. Then the fox turned his back on her, sweeping from the room like an angry specter. In his wake the Bath House kami flooded the archway with the sea of their worried faces. Over their heads Chouchin drifted a sullen blue. Natsumi shuffled forward from the midst of their family. Bowing low and solemn, she offered Chihiro a small tray. On it was a hand-stitched pouch. Haku recognized the pink fabric immediately. It came from one of Yubaba's bath house uniforms.

"This is the last of the Abura (1) bath salts. May they soothe and serve you on your journey. May they remind you of us. May that memory bring all of you home safely."

_All of you_; _home_; the words rang in his years like the toll of a bell

Haku bent beneath the weight as he fought to carry them.

Pushing up her mask Chihiro stared at the bag for a long moment.

Then with shaking hands she accepted the gift and bowed wordlessly.

Natusmi retreated beneath the silent weight of sorrow, scooting backwards and then aside as the Gods parted.

Chihiro hesitated a moment then hurried from the room.

Pulling on his tatter cloak and mask he was forced to follow.

Hating every step Haku found it difficult to see the faces of his dear friends as he passed.

Haku feared he might never see them again.

Despair robbed him of his senses, weighing and encumbering every step.

He went as it dreaming; through the curtain; down the stairs onto the green tiles.

Here his sandals waited and he knelt to tie them over his thick tabi with wooden hands.

Standing at the base he breathed in the sweet spicy smell of camphor and cedar.

Each breath caught in his throat making him desperate to take another.

Hidden in the humid air he could feel the distant green bite of sea salt.

This was the smell of home and he did not want to leave!

Lifting his eyes she stared at the blank faces of the humans whom he had stolen.

Megumi and Kenka regarded him with in terror as it took a moment for them to see him.

Jae was still missing and Haku felt his absence keenly.

But Satako's absence nearly cost him what little strength he had left.

He could hear her screeching in protest on the back porch amidst her mother's soothing.

Then Chihiro took his hand as he had taken hers all those years ago in another world.

She laced her fingers through his and pulled him forward.

Following in her shadow he shuddered as they crossed in a crackling spray of magic.

Back out into the blinding snow; into the stunningly cold bright they ran.

His heels jarred on the hard cobbles of the road hidden beneath the ice.

And his heart sank as the sun blotted behind the thick bare branches of the hinoki.

The cold remained in his chest as they sprinted into the thickening wood.

Through that forest of beginnings and endings they ran as if chased.

Because here they had met and parted many times before.

Haku hardly noticed Okesa and Suzume as they joined the periphery of his vision.

Already his eyes were looking ahead, seeking that faded wall of forgotten red.

With dizzying astonishment he found it all too soon.

Ever unchanged the tunnel gaped open as if waiting to devour them whole.

And even as he rushed towards it Haku's steps quickened.

Somewhere in the beyond he would find Lin and Kubi.

These were the first steps he would take on their impossible journey.

As before, he did not go alone.

The stone guardian swaddled in snow laughed at them in silence as they passed.

His heart lurched up into his throat as into that mouth of madness they sprinted.

And his hand tightened on her as they darted forward into the swallowing dark.

Side-by-side they crossed from one world into the next.

* * *

**Notes:  
**

(1) Abura 油 is the name of Yubaba's bath house. One of the readings for this kanji is "hot oil." It can also be pronounced "yu," which is a homophone for another kanji meaning hot water. It's a pun.**  
**

* * *

**Author's note: 9/16/2012**

Woo! Halfway done with the third book. In case you're wondering how all this will get wrapped up in another 25 chapters there will be a fourth book.**  
**

I've made some updates to the Onsen website. There is a brand new character index that lists key players from the saga to help you keep track of everyone. Also of interest are references to myths, legends, and real people who inspire the character's origin complete with outside links to more information.

Here, unfortunately, I must give you some bad news. My laptop is dead. I managed to finish these last few chapters on the generous loan of my fiance's laptop. Unfortunately he will need it back for school starting in a week. That means I will have no way to write.

Why not just save money for a laptop? I would if I could. My mother has lost her job. She and my two sisters will be moving in with us at the end of October. All of my spare funds that don't go to help them out are being squirreled away to pay for the wedding. Needless to say, I will be broke until I get my tax return. I hope to use that to buy a new laptop. I don't mean to ply you with a sob story, only to explain my predicament.

My fiance came up with an idea. He suggested that I share my situation in hopes that readers might consider donating maybe a dollar (or any amount) to my laptop fund so I might get one sooner. If you've enjoyed my stories perhaps you'll consider helping me procure the technology I need to continue writing? You'll find a "donate!" link on the Hakuryo Onsen website. Google "Hakuryo Onsen" and it should pop up in the first links. If by some wild chance we raise more than the cost of a very basic laptop (I don't need anything fancy) I promise to donate the surplus funds to Peace Winds America in support of the continued effort to rebuild Tohoku. Thank you very much for your consideration!

In the meantime I'll be on an intermittent writing hiatus for the next six months. I'll try to post a chapter whenever I can get my hands on a computer long enough to crank something out.


End file.
